New Delhi: A 13-year-old fugitive trail finally came to an end at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, where the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) apprehended a long-absconding accused in a Singapore-linked fraud case following his deportation from the United States.
The accused, Harnek Singh, had been evading the legal process since 2013. After fleeing India, he allegedly entered the US illegally and remained there for more than a decade. His return marks the culmination of sustained efforts by the CBI to bring him back within the ambit of Indian law.
The case dates back to 2013, when Indian nationals in Singapore were allegedly targeted through spoofed telephone calls by persons posing as officials of Singapore’s immigration authorities. The victims were reportedly told that they had furnished incorrect information in their airport disembarkation forms and were threatened with criminal action and deportation unless they paid purported settlement amounts or fines.
The cheated money was allegedly transferred through Western Union Money Transfer to designated recipients in India. According to the CBI investigation, the funds were received through a money-transfer outlet operated by Singh in association with co-accused Aditya Bhardwaj and Deepak Jain.
The CBI registered the case in 2016, invoking charges relating to criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents and offences under the Information Technology Act.
While the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings progressed, Singh remained outside India. The CBI continued pursuing the case through legal and international law-enforcement channels. Summons and a bailable warrant were served on him in the US through the US Department of Justice, but he failed to appear before the court.
With Singh continuing to evade the proceedings, the Special Judicial Magistrate, CBI Cases, Panchkula, issued an open-dated non-bailable warrant against him in April 2024. The CBI subsequently pursued international measures against the accused, including an Interpol Red Notice. A Look-Out Circular was also opened against his passport.
The sustained international pursuit eventually resulted in Singh being deported from the United States to India. CBI officials apprehended him at IGI Airport on September 9, bringing an end to more than a decade of evasion.
The development also comes against the backdrop of proceedings against his co-accused. Bhardwaj and Jain were convicted by the Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI Cases), Panchkula, in May 2025.
The case underlines the increasingly international nature of financial and cyber-enabled fraud, where victims, perpetrators, financial channels and accused persons can be spread across multiple jurisdictions. It also demonstrates the role of agencies such as the CBI in pursuing fugitives beyond India's borders through international cooperation and established law-enforcement mechanisms.
For the CBI, the apprehension is a reminder that an accused fleeing the country does not bring an investigation or prosecution to an end. Through sustained follow-up, coordination with foreign authorities and international policing mechanisms, the agency has succeeded in bringing a fugitive back to India after more than a decade.
BI Bureau
