India hands over FBI’s most wanted 'fraudster' Manjit Singh Bedi to US

India has handed over Manjit Singh Bedi — one of the FBI’s “most wanted fraudsters” — to the US, a month after being arrested by Punjab Police.

Bedi, an Indian-born American citizen, will face charges of defrauding a US food aid programme of at least $600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025.

“The arrest and return of Manjit Singh Bedi marks yet another significant moment for the historic FBI’s most wanted fraudsters programme,” FBI director Kash Patel said.

“Bedi is one of six most wanted fraudsters captured since the creation of the new list three months ago... in a group responsible for a combined over $2 billion in fraud and on the run for almost 4,000 days collectively prior to arrest,” he added.

Bedi was extradited on Wednesday and is due to appear in a Tacoma court to face the fraud charges.

Bedi, who ran a small grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, had returned to India in April and was taken into custody by the Punjab Police last month.

“Bedi... purportedly sold food to participants of the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Programme through their electronic benefit transfer cards. However, instead of selling participants food, Bedi is alleged to have swiped their cards and given them cash, keeping half of the proceeds for himself,” the FBI said.