Vikash Yadav, wanted by FBI for Pannun murder plot, was arrested by Delhi Police in kidnap case, released on bail

Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested Mr. Yadav on December 18, 2023, for allegedly kidnapping a businessman; he was granted bail in April 2024

Vikash Yadav — the former Indian government official charged by the U.S. authorities for his alleged role in a foiled plot to murder Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil — was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in December 2023 in an unrelated kidnapping and extortion case. He was granted interim bail by a Delhi court in March 2024, and regular bail a month later.

Mr. Yadav was granted interim bail on the grounds that his one-year-old daughter was suffering from an acute respiratory infection and was under treatment. Citing Mr. Yadav’s bail application, the court said that he was an “ex-government employee and [had] clean antecedents”. In its interim bail order, the court noted that the authenticity of the medical documents regarding his daughter’s illness had been duly verified and confirmed and that the investigation was complete and the chargesheet had been filed.

Kidnap and extortion

Mr. Yadav was arrested on December 18, 2023 for allegedly kidnapping a businessman living in Delhi’s Rohini area and demanding money in the name of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Along with another man named Abdullah, Mr. Yadav allegedly pushed the victim into a car and demanded money, forcing him to sign a blank cheque before dropping him near his car. They also threatened him not to tell anybody about the incident, the police FIR said.

The bail order said there was no apprehension of threat to any witness in the case.

Conditional bail

Mr. Yadav was granted interim bail for six days, till March 28, and was asked to furnish a bail bond of ₹30,000 with a surety like amount. His bail was subject to several conditions: not to tamper with evidence, not to leave the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and to give the investigating officer a cell phone number that would be kept active and switched on at all times.

“On completion of the period of interim bail, Vikash Yadav shall surrender before the jail superintendent,” the bail order said. According to the Press Trust of India, the court granted regular bail to Mr. Yadav on April 22.

Yadav was arrested under IPC sections 364A (kidnapping for ransom), 307 (attempted murder) 328 (causing harm to another person using poison), 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 392 (robbery), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

(With PTI inputs)

Published - October 19, 2024 05:35 pm IST