Washington: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of up to $150,000 (around ₹1.42 crore) for information leading to the arrest of an Indian-origin man accused of defrauding the US government of at least $600,000 (around ₹5.67 crore) in food assistance benefits.
The FBI has identified the suspect as Manjit Singh Bedi, a naturalised US citizen, and has added him to its list of most wanted fraud suspects. Investigators believe he fled to India after the alleged fraud came to light.
According to the FBI, Bedi operated a grocery store called Asian Grocery Store in Washington. Between March 2024 and June 2025, he allegedly misused customers’ Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which are used by beneficiaries of the US government’s nutrition assistance programme.
Investigators allege that Bedi would process transactions through customers’ EBT cards without providing the corresponding food items. Instead, beneficiaries allegedly received cash, while Bedi is accused of keeping about half of the proceeds.
The FBI is seeking information that could help locate and arrest Bedi. The agency has not said when he is believed to have left the US or provided details of his current whereabouts.
