Sun Oct 20 03:09:13 UTC 2024: **Summary of News Article:**
– **Vikash Yadav’s Legal Defense:** Senior lawyer Raj Kamal Handoo, representing former CRPF officer Vikash Yadav, claims that the extortion case against Yadav is baseless, labeling the FIR and chargesheet as “works of fiction.”
– **U.S. Involvement:** The U.S. government recently identified Yadav as a key conspirator in an assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and added him to the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.
– **Court Proceedings:** Yadav was arrested on December 23, 2022, on extortion charges filed by a businessman but was granted bail on April 22, 2023, after spending four months in Tihar jail.
– **Background of the Case:** Yadav, previously working with the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), was repatriated and later dismissed from the CRPF. His legal team asserts he has been falsely implicated in the extortion case.
– **Indictment Details:** In a November indictment, Yadav is referred to as “CC-1” in the assassination plot, where another Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was also accused. Gupta was arrested in Prague and is currently undergoing trial in New York.
– **Current Status:** Yadav has been advised not to interact with the media, and his exact location remains unknown to visitors. Gupta has requested a public defender, with the next court date set for January 17, 2024.
First Piper 