Punjab Police have arrested 65-year-old Manjit Singh Bedi, a Jalandhar resident who had been placed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s wanted list in connection with an fraud scheme in the United States involving around dollar 600,000 (approximately Rs 5.6 crore) in losses to the US government.
The arrest brings to an end, at least for now, the search for Bedi after US authorities alleged that he violated the conditions of his supervision and left the United States for India through Canada.
The FBI had announced a reward of up to dollar 150,000 (around Rs 1.4 crore) for information that could lead to Bedi’s arrest and conviction.
Bedi was arrested in Jalandhar after his name surfaced during the investigation of a separate travel-fraud case registered in Punjab. Authorities are now examining his international travel history, financial transactions, associates and other possible links to the US investigation.
Who is Manjit Singh Bedi?
Bedi was born in India and moved to the United States in 2019, where his two sons are settled.
During his time in the US, he operated a small grocery business, Asian Grocery Store, in Tacoma, Washington.
The grocery store later became central to the fraud allegations against him.
According to the FBI, Bedi participated in a scheme involving the US government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food assistance to eligible beneficiaries.
Customers used Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, cards to access their SNAP benefits at participating retailers.
Investigators allege that Bedi did not simply use the cards for legitimate food purchases. Instead, he swiped customers’ EBT cards and provided them with approximately half of the value in cash, retaining the remaining amount for himself.
The transactions resulted in losses of at least $600,000 to the US government, according to the FBI.
The allegations concern activity said to have taken place between March 2024 and June 2025.
How the SNAP fraud worked
The case centres on an alleged misuse of the system through which SNAP recipients access government-provided food assistance.
Under the scheme, customers would present their EBT cards at Bedi’s store. Rather than exchanging the benefits for eligible food products, Bedi is accused of converting the benefits into cash.
According to the allegations, customers received roughly half the value of the benefits they surrendered, while Bedi retained the balance.
If established in court, such transactions would amount to an improper conversion of government benefits rather than legitimate SNAP purchases.
The FBI estimated that the scheme caused a loss of at least dollar 600,000 to the US government.
FBI warrant issued after violation of supervision conditions
Bedi’s legal troubles in the United States preceded his appearance on the FBI’s wanted list.
He had earlier been indicted in connection with allegations involving wire fraud and SNAP-related fraud. Despite the proceedings, he was allowed to remain out of custody subject to conditions imposed by the US court.
Among those conditions, according to the FBI account, was an order requiring Bedi to surrender his passport and remain within Washington state.
The situation changed in April 2026 when US authorities reportedly served him with a notice requiring him to appear before the court.
Instead of appearing as required, Bedi left the United States.
According to the FBI, he drove across the US-Canada border and subsequently travelled onward to India.
A federal arrest warrant was issued against him on May 21, 2026, by the US District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma.
The warrant was issued after authorities alleged that Bedi had violated the conditions under which he had been allowed to remain outside custody.
Why was the FBI looking for him?
The FBI subsequently placed Bedi on its wanted list and announced a substantial financial reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
The reward up to dollar 150,000, reflected the seriousness with which US authorities were pursuing the case.
His departure from the United States added another layer to the investigation, as authorities were required to locate him after he travelled out of the country despite the conditions imposed on him.
Bedi eventually surfaced in Punjab.
How Punjab Police arrested Bedi
Punjab Police arrested Bedi in Jalandhar after his name emerged during an investigation into a separate travel-fraud case registered at Rama Mandi police station.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed that Bedi’s name had also figured in the FBI’s wanted list in connection with the SNAP benefits fraud.
Jalandhar Commissioner of Police Satinder Singh said investigators were examining several aspects of Bedi’s activities, including his international travel history and financial transactions.
Police are also looking into his possible associates and other links that could be relevant to the investigation.
The development has effectively brought together two separate strands of the case, the local travel-fraud investigation in Punjab and the much larger US investigation into government benefits fraud.
A separate case in Punjab
Bedi’s arrest in Punjab was not initially based solely on the US allegations.
Police said his name came up in connection with a separate travel-fraud case registered at Rama Mandi police station.
The Punjab case has been registered under Sections 316(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals Regulation Act.
The provisions cited by police relate to offences including criminal breach of trust and cheating, while the travel professionals legislation applies to the separate allegations being examined by Punjab authorities.
Police have also stated that Bedi had not been facing a criminal case in Punjab before his name emerged in the travel-fraud investigation.
Authorities are now examining whether there are additional links between the Punjab case and his activities in the United States.
What happens next?
The Punjab Police investigation is now expected to focus on Bedi’s movements between the United States, Canada and India, along with his financial transactions and possible associates.
Officials are also verifying information received from US authorities concerning his status on the FBI’s wanted list and the allegations against him.
The US case centres on the misuse of SNAP benefits and the reported $600,000 loss to the US government. The FBI’s warrant, meanwhile, was issued after Bedi breached the conditions imposed on him while he was out of custody.
His arrest in Punjab could therefore provide US authorities with a significant development in a case that had extended across international borders.
For now, however, the allegations relating to the US fraud case remain allegations unless and until established through the appropriate legal proceedings. The Punjab Police investigation into the separate local case is also continuing.
The arrest nevertheless marks a striking turn in the case of a Jalandhar-born businessman who moved to the US, ran a grocery store in Tacoma, became the subject of a federal fraud investigation, left the country despite court-imposed restrictions and was ultimately arrested after returning to Punjab.
