Jalandhar Police Arrest Punjab Man Allegedly Wanted By FBI In US$600,000 SNAP Fraud Case

Jalandhar Police have arrested a Punjab man who was allegedly wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a fraud case involving nearly US$600,000.

The accused, Manjit Singh Bedi, was arrested after police received specific information about his whereabouts and formed a special team to track him. According to Jalandhar Police Commissioner Satinder Singh, the team intercepted Bedi while he was travelling and took him into custody.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said Bedi had figured on the FBI’s wanted list over an alleged fraud involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the United States.

Alleged SNAP fraud in Washington

According to the Jalandhar Police Commissioner, Bedi had allegedly been running an Asian grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, where customers used government-issued Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to access SNAP benefits.

Police said the alleged fraudulent activity took place between 2024 and 2025 and involved approximately US$600,000. Authorities in India are now verifying the information received from US agencies regarding Bedi’s alleged involvement and his status as a wanted person.

The FBI had reportedly issued a federal arrest warrant against Bedi on May 21 through a US district court after he was accused of violating the conditions of his supervision.

Police further said Bedi had allegedly been directed to surrender his passport and other material to US authorities but failed to comply. He subsequently left the United States and returned to India. The FBI had also reportedly offered a reward for information that could lead to his arrest.

Arrest follows local fraud case

The development came after Jalandhar Police registered a separate case at a city police station on August 16, 2026. During the investigation, officers received information about Bedi and launched an operation to locate him.

The police team eventually tracked him down and arrested him while he was on the move, officials said.

The Indian case has been registered under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to criminal breach of trust and cheating, respectively. Police have also invoked Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act.

Further probe underway

Authorities said further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the alleged financial fraud, Bedi’s activities after returning to India and the circumstances surrounding the US case.

Police are also coordinating the verification of details provided by authorities regarding his alleged role in the US fraud and his wanted status there.