Within weeks of being named as the “CC-1” (co-conspirator) by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) documents last year in November in the case of attempting to assassinate pro-Khalistan separatist figure Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Vikash Yadav, was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in an extortion case, The Indian Express reported.
As per records, Yadav was later released after four months in Tihar. Yadav was charged by the Department of Justice on Friday with “murder-for-hire” and money laundering in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun.
In response to a question about Yadav, who is identified as an “Indian government employee” in the DoJ indictment, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs stated on Thursday that Yadav is “not part of the Government of India set-up.”
Yadav’s arrest in Delhi, followed by his release on bail, gains significance as the FBI’s New York office placed him on its wanted list on Friday and issued a call for information about him.
Vikash Yadav’s arrest in Delhi
In December 2023, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Yadav after a Rohini resident filed an FIR accusing Yadav of extortion and kidnapping and linking him to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. In his complaint, the Rohini resident stated that he previously operated an IT company and had built connections with several Indians living in West Asia.
In his complaint, he claimed that in November of last year, a friend introduced him to Yadav, describing him as a senior government official. They exchanged contact details and became good friends, though they never discussed business matters due to Yadav’s government position. However, Yadav often expressed interest in his friends living overseas and frequently asked about how he conducted financial transactions with them.
Yadav had allegedly told the Rohini resident that he was “some kind of undercover agent” who was executing a sensitive operation for a Central agency. However, he never disclosed his designation or office address.
“On December 11, he called and informed me there was something serious that he wanted to discuss and it is related to my life. We decided to meet at…Lodhi Road,” he stated in the complaint.
The complaint alleges that Yadav, with an accomplice, arrived in a vehicle and forcibly took the complainant to a flat near Defence Colony. There, Yadav reportedly informed the complainant that a contract, or “supari,” had been issued to kill him, orchestrated by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi on the orders of someone based in Dubai. He alleged that Yadav’s accomplice eventually hit him on the head and forced him to hand over his gold chain and several rings. He also claimed they later went to a café he operates and took cash from the premises.
He was also warned of dire consequences if he told anything to authorities.
Yadav and his associate were arrested by the police the following day. According to the chargesheet submitted to a Delhi court on March 13 of this year, they were charged under various sections of the IPC, including Section 307 (attempted murder), Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 364A (abduction), Section 506 (criminal intimidation), Section 341 (wrongful confinement), Section 328 (poisoning), and Sections 25/27 of the Arms Act.
“In his disclosure, Yadav told the police that his father was working with the Border Security Force, and he died in 2007. Yadav got married in 2015. He met (the complainant) at a social gathering and decided to make money after kidnapping him. His associate, who works as a car dealer, told the police that he was facing financial losses in his business and decided to join his (Yadav’s) plan,” a senior police officer said citing the chargesheet.
The chargesheet does not specify Yadav’s occupation but notes his place of birth as Pranpura, Haryana, which is the same location referenced in the DoJ documents.