A Delhi court has issued a non-bailable warrant for Vikash Yadav, a former R&AW officer implicated by the United States in a conspiracy to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The court also notified Yadav’s surety, citing his failure to appear in a kidnapping and extortion case, despite being summoned multiple times. Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of Patiala House Courts ordered the warrant on Monday after Yadav’s absence was noted. The court also instructed a notice to be issued to Yadav’s surety, citing Section 491 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita. The case has been adjourned until October 17.
Vikash Yadav is accused by U.S. prosecutors of orchestrating a thwarted assassination attempt against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistan separatist. This case has added tension to the relationship between India and the U.S., bearing similarities to a killing that took place in Canada in 2023. The U.S. has filed charges against Yadav, alleging murder-for-hire and money laundering, related to his role in directing the assassination plot in New York City. According to an FBI notice, Yadav used the alias “Amanat.” The MEA has confirmed that the individual mentioned in the U.S. indictment is no longer employed by the Indian government.