Punjab Police have arrested Indian-born U.S. citizen Manjit Singh Bedi, who was wanted by American authorities in connection with an alleged $600,000 fraud involving a U.S. government food assistance program.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said Friday that Bedi was arrested in Jalandhar after allegedly fleeing the United States earlier this year.
Bedi, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was reportedly on a U.S. most-wanted fraudsters list and had a reward of US$150,000 offered for information leading to his capture.
According to Yadav, Bedi allegedly travelled through Canada before reaching India in April 2026 in an attempt to evade U.S. authorities.
The case involves the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which provides food assistance to eligible low-income Americans through Electronic Benefit Transfer cards.
U.S. authorities allege Bedi participated in a scheme that defrauded the government of at least US$600,000 between March 2024 and June 2025.
Bedi operated Asian Grocery Store, a small grocery business in Tacoma, Washington, where he was authorized to accept SNAP benefits.
Investigators allege that instead of selling eligible food products to some SNAP recipients, Bedi swiped their benefit cards in exchange for cash and retained approximately half of the proceeds.
He was subsequently indicted on wire fraud and SNAP benefits fraud charges.
Bedi was initially permitted to appear in court without being taken into custody but was ordered to surrender his passport and remain in Washington state while the case proceeded.
Authorities allege he later violated those conditions by crossing the U.S.-Canada border before travelling onward to India.
A U.S. federal arrest warrant was issued for Bedi on May 21, 2026, on a charge related to violating the conditions of his supervision.
His arrest in Jalandhar brings an international search spanning the United States, Canada and India to a significant turning point as authorities determine the next steps in the case.
