US Judge Orders Punjab Gang Suspect Held Without Bail, Transferred to Los Angeles

Washington–A federal judge has ordered alleged Punjab gang member Nitish Kaushal to remain in custody pending trial and be transferred to California to face a racketeering conspiracy charge.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle of the District of Vermont ruled Wednesday that no combination of release conditions would reasonably ensure Kaushal’s appearance in court or protect the community.

Kaushal, an Indian national also known as “Lala,” will be transferred to the Central District of California, where he was indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. He requested a court-appointed attorney and will remain in federal custody during the transfer.

The FBI arrested Kaushal in Alburgh, Vermont, near the Canadian border, after placing him on its Most Wanted list.

In a detention motion, federal prosecutors argued that Kaushal posed a serious flight risk and a danger to the public. The racketeering conspiracy charge carries a potential life sentence.

Prosecutors allege that Kaushal was associated with a transnational criminal organization involved in kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

The government said Kaushal had no ties to Vermont and entered the United States illegally through Yuma, Arizona, in 2022. Prosecutors also cited previous criminal allegations and convictions, including a firearms conviction for which he was sentenced to 60 days in custody. Those claims are separate from the current federal case.

Kaushal allegedly became a fugitive after the California indictment was unsealed in late June. Authorities attempted to arrest him July 7 but were unsuccessful, according to the detention filing.

Investigators allege that Kaushal abandoned a cellphone they had been tracking under a court-authorized warrant before disappearing. He was subsequently added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

Kaushal was arrested July 16 within a mile of the Canadian border after allegedly abandoning a vehicle near the international boundary. Prosecutors said Canadian authorities saw an individual walking in Canada, although the filing did not conclusively identify that person as Kaushal.

A Vermont resident later contacted authorities after security cameras recorded a man looking inside a vehicle and entering a barn, according to prosecutors.

When U.S. Border Patrol officers encountered Kaushal, he allegedly presented a New Jersey driver’s license bearing another person’s name. Fingerprint analysis confirmed his identity, and prosecutors said he acknowledged that the license was not his.

Authorities also submitted photographs comparing a distinctive lion tattoo documented during the investigation with one visible on Kaushal following his arrest.

Kaushal is among 15 defendants named in a 44-page indictment involving the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group. Prosecutors describe the organization as a transnational criminal syndicate based in India with members in the United States, Canada, Britain, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The indictment alleges that the group had more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including more than 100 in the United States.

Prosecutors claim the organization recruited vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in Punjab, including minors who could face reduced criminal penalties if caught committing violent offenses.

In some parts of India, members were allegedly paid as little as 20,000 rupees, or about $200, to commit killings on the organization’s behalf.

Recruiters allegedly offered prospective members money, notoriety, power and “the ability to escape India.” Prosecutors say the organization sought recruits who could qualify for student or work visas and rewarded loyal members by sending them to countries including the United States and Canada.

The indictment alleges that the organization raised money through murder-for-hire schemes, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.

Prosecutors also accuse the group of operating narcotics routes in the United States and carrying out extortion schemes targeting victims and their relatives, particularly family members living in India.

The indictment further alleges that members worked with corrupt law enforcement officials in Punjab to provide false information against rivals, resulting in fabricated criminal proceedings that were then used to extort money. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Kaushal will now be transferred to Los Angeles to answer the federal racketeering conspiracy charge. (Source: IANS)