FBI puts Indian-American man on wanted list for alleged organized crime
The FBI on Tuesday put Indian-origin man Nitish Kaushal on its wanted list in a bid to combat transnational organized crime.According to an FBI release, Kaushal is an associate of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organized crime syndicate, which is engaged in murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, arms trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling.“This organization, known as the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group (‘Bhagwanpuria OCG’), originated in the Indian state of Punjab and operates in the central California region and elsewhere. Kaushal is accused of committing acts of violence on behalf of Bhagwanpuria OCG, including but not limited to kidnapping and assault,” the agency said.“On June 25, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Kaushal in the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, California, on charges of racketeering influence and corrupt organization conspiracy,” the statement added.Days earlier, U.S. federal prosecutors had charged imprisoned Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Goldy Brar with ordering the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.Additionally, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies conducted a large-scale raid on the Lawrence Bishnoi network in the United States earlier this week.The agencies detained about two dozen people in California and elsewhere.The international crackdown, codenamed Operation Hardball, was aimed at disrupting key factions of a transnational crime syndicate that was allegedly targeting communities in North America and India.