Former R&AW officer also named in Pannun Plot: Police preparing supplementary chargesheet against Vikash Yadav in extortion and kidnapping case

The Delhi Police Special Cell is learnt to have begun preparing a supplementary chargesheet against former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer Vikash Yadav, who was named by US authorities as a co-conspirator in an alleged plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his associates, officials aware of the development said. The first chargesheet in the case was filed in 2024. Yadav, who is currently out on bail, was arrested on December 18, 2023, along with Abdullah Khan of Greater Noida, by the Counter Intelligence Unit of the Special Cell. Their arrests followed an FIR registered on the complaint of a Rohini resident, accusing them of extortion and kidnapping, allegedly linking the incident to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Yadav’s arrest came just three weeks after Yadav’s name was listed in the Pannun case by US authorities. According to investigators, the complainant had alleged that he was abducted and told by Yadav that a “supari” (contract) had been issued to kill him at the behest of Dubai-based Jalaluddin. Last year, police arrested Jalaluddin alias Sameer from Chanakyapuri for his alleged role in the conspiracy. All three accused are currently on bail. Police sources said the supplementary chargesheet would incorporate new findings and evidence gathered since the filing of the first report. “We have started preparing a supplementary chargesheet and will file it in the coming days after completing it with all facts gathered during the investigation,” a senior officer said. Meanwhile, earlier this month, a Delhi court granted permission to Abdullah Khan to travel to Bali, Indonesia, to attend a friend’s engagement. In the past two years, Khan has moved multiple applications seeking temporary release of his passport for international travel. Officials said after securing bail, Yadav had not attended a single court hearing and had submitted an application before the court through his advocates — cited a threat to his life and sought exemption from personally attending court hearings — a plea that was initially accepted. However, after failing to seek renewal of the exemption last year, the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him and a notice to his surety. Mahender Singh Manral is an Assistant Editor with the national bureau of The Indian Express. He is known for his impactful and breaking stories. He covers the Ministry of Home Affairs, Investigative Agencies, National Investigative Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Agencies, Paramilitary Forces, and internal security. Prior to this, Manral had extensively reported on city-based crime stories along with that he also covered the anti-corruption branch of the Delhi government for a decade. He is known for his knack for News and a detailed understanding of stories. He also worked with Mail Today as a senior correspondent for eleven months. He has also worked with The Pioneer for two years where he was exclusively covering crime beat. During his initial days of the career he also worked with The Statesman newspaper in the national capital, where he was entrusted with beats like crime, education, and the Delhi Jal Board. A graduate in Mass Communication, Manral is always in search of stories that impact lives. ... Read More