Nitish Kaushal Arrested By FBI In Vermont As Operation Hard Ball Nets Bishnoi Gang Suspect

Punjab-based gangster Nitish Kaushal, an alleged associate of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organised crime group, has been arrested by the FBI in Vermont.

Punjab-based gangster Nitish Kaushal, an alleged member of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group (OCG), has been arrested by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Vermont, weeks after American authorities launched Operation Hard Ball, a sweeping crackdown on transnational criminal networks linked to India.

The FBI announced Kaushal’s arrest on Thursday, bringing into custody one of the fugitives named in a major federal indictment targeting members of the Bishnoi Gang, Bhagwanpuria Gang and Dhanda Gang. His arrest reduces the number of wanted suspects still at large following the operation. According to US authorities, 34 individuals have been charged in connection with the three organised crime groups. Before his arrest, Kaushal was among 11 suspects who had either evaded arrest or remained outside US custody.

An arrest warrant for Kaushal was issued on June 25 by the US District Court for the Central District of California, where prosecutors charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy. The FBI alleges Kaushal was an active participant in the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organised Crime Group, which originated in Punjab but has expanded its operations internationally.

According to the bureau, the organisation is involved in a wide spectrum of organised criminal activity, including murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering and human smuggling. In a statement published on its website, the FBI alleged that Kaushal carried out violent acts on behalf of the organisation, including kidnappings and assaults.

US prosecutors have indicated that several defendants charged in the investigation, including Kaushal, could face mandatory minimum prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment, with a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison if convicted.

Kaushal’s arrest follows Operation Hard Ball, one of the largest US operations targeting transnational organised crime groups with origins in India’s Punjab region. The investigation focuses on criminal organisations allegedly operating across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. American investigators say these groups have built extensive international networks involved in violent crime, narcotics trafficking and financial offences.

According to the US Department of Justice, the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Gang was founded by jailed Punjab gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who is currently imprisoned in India. Once considered a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria later emerged as one of Bishnoi’s principal rivals. US authorities estimate that the Bhagwanpuria organisation now has more than 1,000 members and associates worldwide, including over 100 individuals operating inside the United States.

Federal investigators further allege that the Bhagwanpuria network worked with corrupt public officials in India to facilitate extortion operations targeting victims overseas. One of the cases cited by prosecutors involves Punjab Police officer Gurinderjit Singh, who has been accused of acting as an associate of the gang in an alleged attempt to extort approximately $400,000 from a Los Angeles-based family.

The FBI has not indicated when Kaushal will make his first appearance in federal court. Investigations linked to Operation Hard Ball remain ongoing, with authorities continuing efforts to locate the remaining fugitives named in the indictment.

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