Punjab Police have arrested 65-year-old Manjit Singh Bedi, a Jalandhar resident who was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a US government benefits fraud case involving around $600,000 (approximately ₹5.6 crore). The FBI had announced a reward of up to $150,000 (around ₹1.4 crore) for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
In a major breakthrough, Jalandhar Police have arrested Manjit Singh Bedi, allegedly wanted by US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with nearly $6,00,000 fraud case. Police said Bedi allegedly carried out fraud in US in name of company between 2024 and 2025.… pic.twitter.com/KRiEtIcBjB
— DNA (@dna) September 5, 2026
Bedi was placed on the FBI’s wanted list after a federal arrest warrant was issued against him in the United States on 21st May, 2026. He is accused of violating the conditions of his supervision after earlier being indicted in a case involving wire fraud and fraud linked to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Who is Manjit Singh Bedi?
Bedi, who was born in India, moved to the US in 2019, where his two sons are settled. He ran a small grocery store called Asian Grocery Store in Tacoma, Washington.
The #FBI has added Manjit Singh Bedi to its Most Wanted Fraudsters List. He is #wanted for his alleged involvement in a benefits fraud scheme that defrauded the United States Government out of at least $600,000 between March of 2024 and June of 2025 in Tacoma, Washington. A… pic.twitter.com/oGJNdkz9E8
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) September 3, 2026
According to the FBI, Bedi was involved in a scheme between March 2024 and June 2025 that caused a loss of at least $600,000 to the US government. His store dealt with customers who used Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to access SNAP benefits.
Instead of providing food items in exchange for the benefits, Bedi is accused of swiping the customers’ EBT cards and giving them about half of the amount in cash. He allegedly kept the remaining money for himself.
How did Bedi reach India?
Bedi was allowed to remain out of custody while appearing before the US court. However, he had been ordered to surrender his passport and stay within Washington state.
After US authorities served him a notice in April this year asking him to appear before the concerned court, Bedi left the United States. According to the FBI, he drove across the border into Canada and then travelled onward to India.
The FBI issued a federal arrest warrant for him on 21st May, 2026, in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma. The warrant followed charges that he had violated the conditions of his supervision.
Bedi arrested in Punjab
Punjab Police said Bedi was arrested in Jalandhar after his name surfaced in connection with a separate travel-fraud case registered at Rama Mandi police station.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said Bedi’s name had also figured in the FBI’s wanted list in connection with the SNAP benefits fraud case.
Jalandhar Commissioner of Police Satinder Singh said the police are now checking Bedi’s international travel history, financial transactions, possible associates and other links connected to the US case.
The Punjab case has been registered under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), dealing with criminal breach of trust and cheating, along with Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act (PTPR Act).
Police also said Bedi was not facing any criminal case in Punjab before his name came up in connection with the travel-fraud case. Authorities are separately verifying the information received from US officials regarding his wanted status and involvement in the US fraud case.
