The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has added Indian-origin gangster Nitish Kaushal, alias "Lala", to its Most Wanted list after charging him under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The agency has accused him of involvement in murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, human smuggling and other organised crime activities linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang.
The FBI has warned that Kaushal should be considered armed and dangerous and poses a significant flight risk. It has appealed to the public to share any information about his whereabouts with the nearest FBI office or a US Embassy or Consulate.
A federal arrest warrant was issued against Kaushal on June 25 by the US District Court for the Central District of California after he was charged with conspiracy under the RICO Act.
According to the FBI, Kaushal, an Indian national, is wanted for his alleged role in the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group, which originated in Punjab and later expanded its operations to the United States, including California.
"Nitish Kaushal is wanted 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. This Organisation, known as the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group (the 'Bhagwanpuria OCG'), originated in the Indian state of Punjab and operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere," the FBI said in a statement.
The agency further alleged that Kaushal carried out acts of violence on behalf of the Bhagwanpuria OCG, including kidnappings and assaults.
The FBI's decision to place Kaushal on its Most Wanted list signals an intensified international effort to dismantle Punjab-origin organised crime networks that investigators say have expanded their reach across North America and Europe.
The development comes days after the US Department of Justice unsealed sweeping indictments against three India-linked transnational criminal syndicates allegedly led by Punjab gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, his close aide Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria under "Operation Hard Ball", a coordinated law enforcement crackdown involving agencies from the United States, Canada and Europe.
US authorities said the operation aims to dismantle transnational organised crime syndicates with roots in India. The indictments accuse the three syndicates of running global criminal enterprises involved in targeted killings, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms offences, money laundering, human smuggling and racketeering across multiple countries.
In one of the indictments unsealed last week, US prosecutors alleged for the first time that Bishnoi and Brar ordered the June 2023 assassination of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. India has consistently rejected Canadian allegations linking it to Nijjar's killing.
Responding to the indictments, India said it remains committed to working with international partners to combat organised crime and terrorism.
"We have seen the announcements made by the US Department of Justice regarding the indictments and enforcement action against transnational organised criminal networks operating across several countries. India has consistently maintained that transnational organised crime, terrorism, narco-trafficking, human trafficking, illegal firearms trafficking and related criminal networks pose a serious threat to our societies," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
He added that India and the United States share strong and growing cooperation in combating terrorism and transnational organised crime, with the two countries' law enforcement agencies working closely together over the years.
"Our agencies have worked closely together over the years, and this cooperation continues to deepen," he said.