Wanted in multiple murder, extortion and organised-crime cases, Haryana gangster Himanshu Bhau has been detained near Las Vegas alongside associate Neeraj Faridpuria
BY PC Bureau
October 25: Haryana gangster Himanshu Bhau, a fugitive wanted in multiple murder and extortion cases, has been detained in the United States along with his associate Neeraj Faridpuria, in a significant breakthrough for Indian law enforcement agencies seeking to dismantle criminal networks operating from abroad.
The two were taken into custody in the Las Vegas area of Nevada on October 22 following intelligence-sharing and coordinated efforts involving the Haryana Special Task Force (STF), Delhi Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Indian agencies reportedly tracked their movements through technical surveillance and information gathered from sources.
Himanshu Bhau and Neeraj Faridpuria are being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Henderson Detention Center near Las Vegas. Their cases are being handled by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations office in the city. No public US criminal charges have been announced, and the proceedings are currently focused on immigration matters.
Indian authorities are coordinating with their US counterparts to expedite the process of bringing the two fugitives back to India. A team of senior officers is expected to travel to the US to complete the necessary documentation. The deportation of gangster Anmol Bishnoi in 2025 is among the precedents being considered by investigators.
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Himanshu Bhau: From Haryana to an international manhunt
Bhau, whose real name is Himanshu Ritoliya and who is also known as Kunal, hails from Ritoli village in Haryana’s Rohtak district. Considered one of the most-wanted gangsters by Haryana and Delhi Police, he is a rival of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and faces numerous cases involving murder, attempted murder, extortion, criminal intimidation and forgery.
An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him in August 2023. Estimates of the number of cases against him vary across reports, ranging from around 18 to 30.
According to police accounts, Bhau’s criminal activities began with extortion in Rohtak. He allegedly killed a local youth before escaping from a juvenile home in Hisar in 2020. He later established his own gang after associating with criminal networks linked to Neeraj Bawana and other gangsters.
Investigators believe Bhau used forged documents to obtain a passport in the name of Kunal Singh in 2022 and left India before a lookout circular was issued. He reportedly travelled through the UAE before reaching Europe via irregular migration routes.
From Portugal, he is alleged to have operated a criminal network active across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, with associates including Yogesh Kadian, alias Bobby, Sahil and Neeraj Faridpuria.
The gang has been linked by investigators to several shootings, murders and extortion operations in the Delhi-NCR region. It has also claimed responsibility for criminal incidents through social media, including the September killing of gym trainer Vijay Kumar in south Delhi’s Aya Nagar and a firing incident outside YouTuber Elvish Yadav’s residence.
Neeraj Faridpuria: A long criminal record
Faridpuria, who hails from Haryana’s Palwal district, has more than 25 criminal cases registered against him, according to reports. His criminal history includes an arrest in connection with an encounter in 2012 and a life sentence in a 2015 murder case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail in 2019.
His name subsequently surfaced in the investigation into the June 26, 2019, murder of Congress leader and state spokesperson Vikas Chaudhary in Faridabad.
Investigators allege that Faridpuria fled to Canada through Dubai, became associated with the Bambiha gang—a rival of the Lawrence Bishnoi network—and later moved to the US, where he worked with Bhau’s group.
Faridpuria had reportedly been detained in the US earlier in 2026 but was later released on bail with an electronic ankle monitor. He was taken into custody again after allegedly removing the tracking device.
Police have also examined possible links between Faridpuria and other criminal incidents, including the earlier killing of dairy businessman Ratan Lohia in Aya Nagar. Investigations into shootings, murders and alleged extortion activities across Delhi-NCR remain ongoing.
Deportation process now in focus
The detentions mark a significant development in India’s efforts to pursue fugitives accused of running organised-crime networks from overseas. Gangsters operating outside India have posed persistent challenges for investigators, particularly where alleged criminal operations continue to target individuals and businesses back home.
However, the arrests do not automatically mean the two men will be returned to India immediately. Their deportation will depend on US immigration procedures and any legal claims they may raise, including possible asylum applications.
Indian agencies are expected to continue working with US authorities to complete the process, with the immediate focus on securing their return to face the cases pending against them in India.
