E-Paper
Who is Nitish Kaushal? Gangster added to FBI's most wanted list
Nitish Kaushal is alleged to have carried out multiple crimes, including kidnappings and assaults, and is being sought in connection with those offences.
In its latest crackdown on transnational crime syndicates in the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has added gangster Nitish Kaushal to its most wanted list for his alleged involvement in murder, drug and weapons trafficking, extortion, money laundering, and human smuggling.
"Nitish Kaushal is wanted by the FBI for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organisation engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling," the FBI said in a post on X.
Who is Nitish Kaushal
Kaushal, an Indian-origin man, is known to be a member of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group. He is alleged to have carried out multiple crimes for the group, including kidnappings and assaults, and is being sought in connection with those offences.
The organisation, according to the FBI, originated in Punjab and operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere. Federal officials alleged that Kaushal personally carried out high-risk violent operations for the syndicate, including kidnappings and assaults.
The FBI said the US District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles issued a federal arrest warrant for Kaushal on June 25 after he was charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, news agency PTI reported.
Operation Hard Ball
The FBI's action is part of "Operation Hard Ball", a coordinated international crackdown involving raids and law enforcement operations across the US, Canada, and Europe, aimed at dismantling transnational organised crime syndicates with roots in India.
Earlier this month, law enforcement agencies in the US, Canada, and Europe arrested a total of 24 people—13 in the US, three in Canada, and one in Spain—linked to three India-based transnational organised crime groups: the Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria, and Dhanda gangs, according to the FBI. In the US, 11 were arrested in California, one in Indiana, and one in Georgia.
A manhunt was also launched for Bishnoi aide Goly Brar, who was charged with ordering the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on June 18, 2023.
The FBI is also offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to Brar's arrest.
"The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Satinderjeet Singh, wanted for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group, which is allegedly engaged in a variety of violent acts in Southern California, and across the United States and Canada," the federal agency said in a statement.
