Vikas Yadav, wanted in Pannun case, was arrested by Delhi Police in November! Report claims

Vikas Yadav, who has been named by the US as the main accused in the conspiracy to murder pro-Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in a case of extortion. The arrest came less than three weeks after he was mentioned as "CC-1" (co-conspirator) in US Department of Justice (DOJ) documents in November last year.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Vikas Yadav was released on bail in April this year after spending four months in Tihar Jail. Let us tell you that on Friday, Vikas Yadav was named by the DOJ and accused of plotting the alleged Pannun murder and money laundering. Responding to a question on Vikas Yadav, named as an "Indian government employee" in the DOJ indictment, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said on Thursday (October 18, 2024) that he was not part of the Government of India structure. His arrest in Delhi and subsequent release on bail makes it clear that he is not a part of the Government of India.

What is the whole matter?

Vikas Yadav was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on December 18, 2023, after an FIR was lodged by a Rohini resident. The Rohini man had alleged that Vikas had accused him of extortion and kidnapping in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The victim had said in his complaint that he ran an IT company and had established contacts with many Indians settled in West Asia. In November last year, a friend of mine introduced me to Vikas Yadav a senior government official and we shared our numbers. We became good friends, but being a government official, we never talked about business. However, he always showed curiosity about my friends living abroad.

He alleged that Yadav told him he was an undercover agent carrying out a sensitive operation for a central agency but never revealed his designation or office address. He said in the complaint, "On December 11, he called me and told me that he wanted to talk about something serious and it is related to my life. At his behest, I went to meet him at Lodhi Road. There Vikas Yadav came in a vehicle with an accomplice and both of them forcibly took me to a flat near Defense Colony. There Vikas Yadav said that a contract has been received to kill you, which has been given by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi at the behest of a Dubai-based person. After this, Yadav's accomplice snatched my gold chain and some rings. After this, he made me withdraw some cash.

Father was posted in the Border Security Force.

Citing the charge sheet, a senior police officer said that during interrogation after the arrest, he had told the police that his father was employed in the Border Security Force and died in 2007. Yadav was married in 2015. He met the complainant in a program. He kidnapped her to earn money. Vikas Yadav's associate said that he works as a car dealer, but for some time now He was upset with the loss in business. That's why he joined Yadav in this incident.

Released from jail on 22 April

According to the report, Tihar Jail sources said that Yadav was lodged in Central Jail No. 1 on 23 December. He was granted interim bail on 22 March. In the order, the Additional Sessions Judge of Patiala House Court wrote, "This is a bail plea filed by Yadav for grant of interim bail on the ground of illness of his one-year-old daughter. The accused is a former government employee and has a clean history. He has to furnish a bail amount of Rs 30,000 and a surety.' After this, on 22 April 2024, Yadav came out of Tihar Jail on regular bail.