CBI Brings Back Harnek Singh from US After 13 Years in Singapore Fraud Case
Harnek Singh, absconding since 2013 in a spoof-call fraud case, was deported from the US and apprehended by the CBI at Delhi airport on September 9.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has secured the return of Harnek Singh, a fugitive accused who had been evading investigation and trial since 2013 in a case of conspiracy, cheating, forgery and the use of forged documents as genuine, officials said on Thursday.
Singh, against whom an Interpol Red Notice and a Look-Out Circular were in force, was deported from the United States and apprehended by CBI officials on his arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on September 9. He is expected to be produced before the Court of the Special Judicial Magistrate (CBI Cases), Panchkula, Haryana, at the earliest.
The CBI, Delhi, registered the case in 2016 under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. Investigators found that in 2013, Indian nationals living or working in Singapore were targeted through spoofed telephone calls made by fraudsters operating from India. The callers allegedly impersonated Singapore immigration officials and threatened victims with legal consequences.
According to officials, the victims were falsely told that they had provided incorrect information on their disembarkation forms and faced criminal prosecution and deportation. They were then induced to pay purported settlement fees or fines through Western Union Money Transfer to designated receivers in India.
The probe established that the money obtained from the victims was received through a money-transfer outlet run by Singh in association with co-accused Aditya Bhardwaj and Deepak Jain.
Singh left India in May 2013 and later entered the United States illegally, remaining absconding for more than a decade while proceedings continued in India. During his absence, the trial against Bhardwaj and Jain concluded before the Special Judicial Magistrate, CBI, Panchkula, and both were convicted on May 26, 2025.
Despite summons and a bailable warrant served on Singh in the US through the Department of Justice, he failed to appear before the trial court. The court subsequently issued an open-dated non-bailable warrant against him on April 22, 2024.
The CBI then intensified efforts through international law-enforcement channels, leading to the publication of an Interpol Red Notice and a Look-Out Circular against his passport. Officials said the operation reflects the agency's continued pursuit of fugitive accused through international cooperation, Interpol mechanisms and Look-Out Circulars, irrespective of the time elapsed.