A Delhi court has issued a non-bailable warrant for Vikash Yadav, a former R&AW officer, following allegations of his involvement in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as claimed by the United States. The court also issued a notice to Yadav’s surety due to his failure to appear in court regarding charges of kidnapping and extortion, despite receiving multiple summonses. Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of Patiala House Courts noted Yadav’s absence and consequently ordered the warrant, along with a notice to the surety under the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita. The case is scheduled to be heard on October 17.
The U.S. has accused Vikash Yadav of directing a failed plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This case has caused strain in India-U.S. relations. U.S. prosecutors have filed charges against Yadav for murder-for-hire and money laundering. Yadav was born in Haryana in 1984. According to an FBI notice, he used “Amanat” as an alias. The MEA has said that “the individual named in the U.S. indictment in Pannun case” is no longer an employee of the Indian government.