Vikas Yadav, who appeared before a Delhi court on Saturday, has been allowed a personal exemption from appearing in court. His next hearing is scheduled for February 3, 2025. Yadav cited grave safety concerns and alleged threats to his life in an application accessed by Times Now that he had filed through his lawyers RK Handoo and Aditya Chaudhary.

Yadav, in his plea, claimed that false allegations had been leveled against him and that his details like residence and background were made public.  

“False and frivolous allegations have been leveled against the applicant, and particulars of the applicant such as his residence, background, along with his photograph, have been published all over the world exposing the applicant to serious threat to his life from nefarious elements,” the application stated.

Yadav alleged he was under "continuous surveillance by inimical elements" who were tracking his movements, leaving him with no choice but to remain in hiding. He described the threat as "clear, present, and grave."

In his affidavit, Yadav also claimed that by appearing in person before the court, or even through video conference, he would risk losing his safety, because “Appearance of the applicant before the court is likely to annihilate the applicant,” His plea added that attending online could even risk giving away his location through electronic tracking.

Who is Vikas Yadav

Vikas Yadav is an Indian citizen and was working in the Cabinet Secretariat which has India's intelligence agency, known as the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

Yadav was one of the senior field officers and had conducted security management and intelligence. He also doubles as an Assistant Commandant in the Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF, in charge of a 135-member unit. His training involved receiving education in counterintelligence, combat skills, handling weapons, and paratrooper techniques.

The FBI s FBI aid Yadav is 39 years old, 5'10" to 6'1" in height, and weighs around 175 pounds or 79 kilograms. He has black hair and brown-colored eyes. The suspect hails from Pranpura, Haryana.

Accused in "murder-for-hire" case

Yadav's exemption comes amid a high-profile "murder-for-hire" case he has been charged with. In October, the US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against him for allegedly carrying out plots to assassinate, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit murder.

[Source- Firstpost]

The FBI has also put Yadav on its "most wanted" list. Yadav, an ex-commandant of CRPF associated with Cabinet Secretariat, was dismissed from government service after allegations surfaced.

The case also involves Nikhil Gupta, who was arrested in Prague in 2022 and extradited to the United States. Yadav and Gupta have many charges to their name, and the moves are causing ripples worldwide.