Who Is Himanshu Bhau? Gangster Held by US ICE in Nevada

New Delhi, October 27: For years, he was a name on police lists and a voice behind threats, not a face. Now Himanshu “Bhau”, one of Haryana’s most-wanted gangsters, is sitting in a US immigration detention centre, and Indian agencies are trying to work out how to bring him home.

Who is Himanshu Bhau?

Bhau’s reported real name is Himanshu Ritauliya, also spelt Ritoliya. He is from Ritoli village in Haryana’s Rohtak district and appears on the most-wanted lists of both the Haryana and Delhi Police. In earlier reports, police described him as being in his early twenties.

The number of cases against him depends on the source. A news agency report puts it at 18 criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, extortion, criminal intimidation and forgery. Earlier Delhi Police briefings spoke of more than 50 cases across Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, and a newspaper report cites 64. These are allegations, and none has been proved against him in court. Delhi Police booked him and his gang under the stringent MCOCA, accusing them of running an extortion syndicate that threatened businessmen.

An Interpol Red Notice has been in place against him since August 2023.

How police say he operated from abroad

Police say Bhau left India in 2022, reportedly using a forged passport, and travelled to Dubai. Earlier reports traced him to Portugal and Spain. They allege that he ran his network from overseas, shifting between countries to avoid detection, while directing extortion and violence in India. Delhi Police have also alleged links with Punjab’s Bambiha gang and with jailed Delhi gangsters, and described a bitter gang rivalry back home with a rival from the same village. Those are police claims.

The US detention

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken Bhau and an associate, Neeraj Kaushik, who goes by the name Neeraj Faridpuria, into custody. The pair are listed at the Henderson Detention Center in Nevada, near Las Vegas, under the jurisdiction of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations office. The facility is city-run and holds ICE detainees under an agreement with the federal agency.

According to reports, the detainee locator lists a “Himanshu Sigroha” and Neeraj Kaushik, names that officials say correspond to Bhau and Faridpuria. Reports say Bhau was detained after discrepancies emerged in the identity he had been using, and that a US asylum bid hit a roadblock. Kaushik is believed to have left India in 2019. Both allegedly used passports obtained through forged documents and assumed identities.

Neither ICE nor the FBI has issued a public statement on the arrests, and I found no US criminal charges against either man. The detention is for immigration purposes.

Can he be deported?

Indian agencies are in touch with US counterparts. The Haryana Special Task Force is pursuing deportation, and the CBI, as India’s Interpol office, would normally coordinate with US authorities.

But the outcome depends on American law. Bhau and Faridpuria can contest removal before a US immigration judge, including by seeking asylum or other relief. Deportation and extradition are separate processes, and either can take time. There is no confirmed timeline.

Why the case matters

Indian police have long said that a growing number of gangsters run operations from overseas, using social media, mobile apps and intermediaries to direct violence at home. Getting a leading name back to India would be a major step for the agencies chasing them. It would also test the cooperation between India and the US on organised crime.

What to watch

Whether the US confirms his identity and any charges, how Bhau responds in immigration proceedings, whether India files a formal request, and how long the process takes.