Vikash Yadav, wanted by the FBI for allegedly plotting the murder of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was arrested 10 months ago by the Delhi Police Special Cell in connection with a kidnapping and attempted murder case. Yadav's name surfaced weeks after the US Department of Justice (DoJ) mentioned him as 'CC-1' (co-conspirator) in a murder-for-hire plot.
A Delhi-based businessman, the complainant in the case, also linked Yadav to notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Another person was arrested alongside Yadav when the case was first registered in December 2023, but Yadav was granted bail in April 2024, according to an India Today report.
Details On The Extortion Case
The case was initiated when the businessman lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police, claiming that he was introduced to Yadav in November 2023 by an acquaintance who described Yadav as a senior government officer. The businessman, an IT company owner with contacts in West Asia, soon became friends with Yadav, exchanging numbers. Yadav presented himself as an undercover agent but withheld specific details about his work.
On December 11, Yadav called the businessman to Lodhi Road under the pretense of discussing an important issue. Once the businessman arrived, he was kidnapped by Yadav and an accomplice and taken to a flat in the Defence Colony area. During the abduction, Yadav reportedly revealed that Lawrence Bishnoi had given him a contract to kill the businessman. The businessman was assaulted, his gold chain and rings were stolen and later, all the cash from his café was taken by Yadav and his accomplice.
After threatening the businessman with severe consequences if he reported the crime, Yadav and his accomplice abandoned him by the roadside. On December 18, following the businessman’s complaint, the Delhi Police arrested Yadav and his accomplice. The case was registered under charges of kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, and attempted murder.
Yadav Targeted Businessman For Financial Gain
During interrogation, Yadav's accomplice revealed that he had faced financial losses in his business dealing with old vehicles. Yadav, on the other hand, disclosed that his father had served in the Border Security Force (BSF) before passing away in 2007 and admitted that he had targeted the businessman for financial gain, according to the report.
Earlier this week, US prosecutors named Yadav as the Indian official behind the Pannun assassination plot, charging him with murder-for-hire and money laundering. Yadav was described as a former officer of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The FBI released his photos, identifying his birthplace as Pranpura, Haryana. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that Yadav was no longer employed by the Indian government.
