CBI Successfully Extradites Fugitive Harnek Singh from the U.S. After 13 Years on the Run

New Delhi, September 10 (Daily Kiran) : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully extraditing Harnek Singh from the United States. Singh had been evading legal proceedings since 2013.

On Thursday, the CBI announced that Singh was subject to an Interpol Red Notice and a Look-Out Circular. He was deported from the U.S. and arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Wednesday, where CBI officials promptly arrested him. The agency indicated that Singh will soon be presented in a special judicial magistrate’s court in Panchkula, Haryana.

The CBI initiated its investigation in 2016 under the Indian Penal Code for conspiracy, fraud, forgery, and using fake documents as genuine, as well as offenses under the Information Technology Act. The inquiry revealed that, during 2013, fraudsters contacted Indian citizens residing or working in Singapore through fake phone calls, impersonating Singapore immigration officials.

According to the CBI, the victims were misled by the perpetrators, who claimed they had filled out incorrect information on their disembarkation forms at the airport. The victims were threatened with criminal charges and potential deportation. Subsequently, they were instructed to transfer settlement fees or fines to designated recipients in India via Western Union Money Transfer.

Investigators found that the fraudulent funds were funneled through a money transfer outlet operated by Harnek Singh, along with co-accused Aditya Bhardwaj and Deepak Jain. Singh fled India in May 2013 and illegally entered the U.S., where he remained at large for over a decade.

While Singh was a fugitive, his co-accused Bhardwaj and Jain faced trial in the same court, resulting in their conviction on May 26, 2025. Despite multiple summons and warrants, Singh failed to appear before the trial court. Consequently, a non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against him by the special judicial magistrate’s court in Panchkula on April 22, 2024. Following this, the CBI escalated the matter through Interpol, leading to the issuance of a Red Notice and a Look-Out Circular for his passport.