Punjab Police arrest FBI-wanted Manjit Singh Bedi in Rs 5.6 crore US benefits fraud case

Punjab Police have arrested 65-year-old Manjit Singh Bedi, a Jalandhar resident who was recently listed among the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most-wanted fraudsters in connection with an alleged US government benefits scam worth around $600,000, or approximately Rs 5.6 crore.

Police said Bedi had left the United States in April this year and travelled to India through Canada, allegedly to avoid legal proceedings. The FBI had announced a reward of up to $150,000, around Rs 1.4 crore, for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Alleged SNAP benefits fraud

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said Bedi was wanted in the US over an alleged fraud involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

According to Jalandhar commissioner of police Satinder Singh, Bedi allegedly ran an Asian grocery store in Tacoma, Washington, where customers used electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to access SNAP benefits.

Police alleged that instead of providing food products for the full value available through the cards, Bedi would swipe the cards, give customers roughly half the amount in cash and keep the balance. The alleged operation caused losses of about $600,000 to the US government, police said.

Bedi reportedly moved to the US in 2019, where his two sons are settled. After US authorities served him a notice in April to appear before the court, he allegedly left the country and entered India through Canada.

Federal warrant issued in May

The FBI said a federal arrest warrant was issued against Bedi on May 21 by a US district court after he was accused of violating the conditions of his supervision. He had earlier been indicted on allegations involving wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud.

Police said Bedi had been allowed to remain out of custody while attending court proceedings, but had been directed to surrender his passport and stay within Washington state.

“The arrest of the accused has led to significant progress in the investigation of the case. The police are now conducting an in-depth investigation into his international travel records, financial transactions, possible associates and other links related to the alleged fraud committed abroad,” the police commissioner said.

Punjab Police are also investigating a travel-fraud case registered at Rama Mandi police station and verifying information shared by US authorities about Bedi’s alleged role in the case.