Washington — The FBI has arrested Indian national Nitish Kaushal in Vermont, days after adding him to its Most Wanted list in connection with a federal investigation into an alleged Punjab-based transnational organized crime syndicate.
“Case Update: Nitish Kaushal has been arrested in Vermont,” the FBI’s Most Wanted account said Thursday on X.
The bureau also asked the public for information about other fugitives wanted in criminal enterprise investigations.
Kaushal, also known as “Lala,” was charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. A federal arrest warrant was issued June 25 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
A 44-page federal indictment alleges that the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group operated as a transnational criminal syndicate headquartered in India, with members in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Federal prosecutors said the organization had more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including more than 100 in the United States. The group allegedly generated revenue through murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.
The indictment names 15 defendants, including alleged gang leader Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Kaushal and several other suspected members of the organization.
The FBI alleged that Kaushal committed acts of violence on behalf of the group, including kidnappings and assaults. Before his arrest, the bureau warned that he should be considered armed, dangerous and a flight risk.
According to prosecutors, Bhagwanpuria was previously associated with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi before forming an independent network that eventually became a rival organization with an international presence.
Kaushal is accused of participating in a July 10, 2024, kidnapping tied to a suspected stolen drug shipment.
Prosecutors allege that an associate lured the victim to a residence in Manteca, California, after gang members accused him of stealing drugs belonging to the organization.
Kaushal and co-defendants Amritpal Singh Bal, Harshpreet Singh and Amarbir Singh allegedly restrained the man. Kaushal and Harshpreet Singh then assaulted him before Kaushal, Bal and Amarbir Singh transported him to an apartment in Fresno, California, according to the indictment.
The victim was allegedly held while gang members demanded $50,000 as compensation for the missing drug shipment.
Bhagwanpuria later ordered the victim’s release as part of an effort to resolve an internal dispute within the organization, prosecutors said.
The indictment alleges that drug trafficking was one of the group’s primary sources of revenue. Members allegedly collected cocaine and methamphetamine in Southern California before loading the drugs onto long-haul trucks bound for the eastern United States or the U.S.-Canada border.
Typical shipments contained at least 100 kilograms of cocaine or methamphetamine, according to prosecutors.
The organization also allegedly accepted murder-for-hire contracts, stole cocaine from rival trafficking groups and used violence against people suspected of stealing its drug shipments. Proceeds from drug trafficking, extortion and other crimes were sent to the organization’s leadership in India, the indictment alleges.
Gang members also gathered information about extortion targets and their relatives, particularly family members living in India, before issuing threats through encrypted messaging applications and demanding money.
In some cases, prosecutors allege, members worked with corrupt law enforcement officials in Punjab to file false criminal cases against rivals and then demanded payments to have the cases withdrawn.
The organization also allegedly trafficked firearms obtained through straw purchasers in Nevada. The weapons were sold in the United States or smuggled into Canada, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors further accuse the group of recruiting vulnerable young people in Punjab, including minors, by promising money, influence, notoriety and opportunities to leave India.
Some recruits were allegedly paid as little as 20,000 rupees, or about $200, to commit murders. Members who demonstrated loyalty were later given opportunities to operate in countries including the United States and Canada, prosecutors said.
Federal prosecutors sought Kaushal’s pretrial detention, arguing that no release conditions could reasonably ensure his appearance in court or protect the community. Court filings described him as a flight risk and a danger to the public and said he was not lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident.
Kaushal’s arrest is the first publicly announced capture following the FBI’s appeal for information about defendants in the case.
The allegations have not been proven in court. Kaushal is presumed innocent unless convicted. (Source: IANS)
