Two wanted Haryana gangsters — Himanshu Bhau and Neeraj Faridpuria — have been detained by United States authorities in Las Vegas, the Haryana Special Task Force (STF) confirmed on Saturday. The arrests followed a tip-off from the STF, which had been tracking the suspects for several years.
Haryana STF Inspector General Simardeep Singh confirmed both men were detained in Las Vegas.
Background and charges
According to Haryana police sources, Himanshu Bhau, a native of Ritoli village in Rohtak district, has been linked to a large number of serious offences since his teenage years. He was first booked when he was 17 in an attempted murder and extortion case. In 2020, he escaped from a juvenile correctional facility in Hisar and later formed his own gang, the sources said.
The STF said Himanshu allegedly left India in 2022 using a fake passport and travelled through Dubai and Portugal before entering the United States illegally, about two years ago. He is suspected of remotely directing a network of shooters in India using encrypted messaging applications to carry out extortion and targeted attacks. Police records show 64 criminal cases have been registered against him.
Neeraj Faridpuria, from Palwal district, is accused in more than two dozen cases registered across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. The cases include allegations of murder, extortion and involvement in organised crime, the STF sources said.
Alleged high-profile incidents
Both men have been linked to a high-profile shooting outside the Gurugram residence of YouTuber Elvish Yadav last year. Investigators say the attackers fired 25 to 30 rounds in the incident, which the two accused reportedly claimed responsibility for. The shooting was investigated as part of a larger probe into extortion and illegal betting-linked activity.
- Himanshu Bhau — native of Ritoli village, Rohtak; first booked at 17; escaped juvenile facility in 2020; 64 cases registered.
- Neeraj Faridpuria — native of Palwal district; over two dozen cases across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
- Detained in Las Vegas after a tip-off from Haryana STF; confirmation given by STF IG Simardeep Singh.
Law-enforcement response and next steps
The Haryana STF provided the information to international partners, leading to the detention by US law-enforcement agencies in Las Vegas. Officials said further legal and procedural steps are under way in consultation with US authorities; extradition or formal charges in the US were not detailed in the statement released by the STF.
Investigators have been probing the suspects’ alleged use of encrypted messaging platforms to coordinate attacks and extortion. The cross-border element — a suspect who reportedly moved through the Middle East and Europe before arriving in the US — highlights the transnational aspects of the organised-crime network the police say they have been targeting.
Record of cases (summary)
| Accused | Origin | Reported number of cases | Notable allegations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Himanshu Bhau | Ritoli, Rohtak | 64 | Attempted murder, extortion, running shooter network, escape from juvenile facility (2020) |
| Neeraj Faridpuria | Palwal | More than two dozen | Murders, extortion, organised crime across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab |
Officials emphasised that formal processes such as confirmation of identity, presentation of charges and requests for extradition will involve both Indian and US legal procedures. No timeline for transfer to India has been released by the STF.
Local impact and ongoing investigations
The arrests are likely to affect ongoing probes in Haryana and neighbouring Delhi and Punjab, where several cases linked to the two men remain under investigation. Police teams in the region have been examining links between extortion rings, betting syndicates and violent assaults attributed to the accused.
Senior law-enforcement sources said the STF will continue coordination with central and international agencies to secure evidence and facilitate legal action in India. Further developments, including formal charges or extradition requests, will be communicated by the investigating agencies as they proceed.
As this is an active law-enforcement matter involving foreign authorities, the STF has not released full operational details. Investigators stressed that many of the allegations against the two men remain subject to criminal proceedings and must be established through evidence in court.
