Exposed to serious threat: ex-RAW officer charged with ‘plans to kill Pannun’

Vikas Yadav, a former officer of the Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), who was indicted by the United States in a alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannuntold a Delhi court on Saturday that he is facing serious threats to his life from nefarious elements.

Citing the threat, Yadav sought relief from physical appearance in connection with an extortion and kidnapping case in which he was accused, and the court approved his request. Yadav was arrested in connection with the case by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in December 2023 and was granted bail earlier this year.

Yadav, represented by lawyers RK Handoo and Aditya Chaudhary, argued that “false and frivolous allegations” had been made against him and his personal details had been widely exposed, exposing him to “serious threats”.

“The applicant’s details such as his place of residence, his background and his photographs have been published all over the world, exposing the applicant to serious threats to his life from nefarious elements,” the application said.

The plea further stated that he is being relentlessly pursued by ‘enemy elements’ who are on constant surveillance in an attempt to track him down at all possible locations, leaving him with no option but to seek safety in seclusion.

“The threat to the life of the applicant is clear, present, serious, imminent and potential and the physical appearance of the applicant before the court is likely to provide an opportunity to destroy the applicant,” Yadav’s plea said.

According to the filing, the threat to his life is serious and imminent, and his physical appearance in court could provide an opportunity for his murder.

Yadav also argued against appearing through video conferencing, stating that his location could be traced using technology.

The court granted him exemption from physical appearance and scheduled the case for a hearing on February 3, 2025.

In October the The United States has indicted Yadavaccusing him of being a co-conspirator in the Pannun murder plot, for which another Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, had already been charged.

The indictment alleged that Yadav and Gupta hired someone to carry out the murder for $100,000, but discovered that the person they had contracted with was actually an FBI informant.

Yadav rejected these allegations and said he had been made a scapegoat.