New Delhi: A Delhi court has issued a non-bailable warrant against former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer Vikash Yadav, who was named by the United States in an alleged case of a “murder-for-hire” plot and money laundering targeting New York-based Khalistani separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, after he failed to appear in a case of alleged kidnapping and extortion.According to the order passed on August 25, additional sessions judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of Patiala House Courts noted that Yadav was absent “despite repeated calls since morning”. The court directed, “Issue NBWs against accused Vikas Yadav and notice to his surety under Section 491 BNSS (Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita) for October 17”.Court records show that a member of Yadav’s family had stood surety in the case, The Indian Express reported. Yadav had been granted exemption from appearance in previous hearings after his lawyer moved an application.In November 2023, US prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with attempting to murder Pannun, saying he was acting under the direction of an Indian government official identified at the time only as “CC-1.”Three weeks later, on December 18, 2023, Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested Yadav in a separate case of kidnapping and extortion, based on a complaint by a Rohini resident. He was granted bail in April 2024 after spending four months in Tihar Jail. His whereabouts since his release are not known.In October 2024, US authorities unsealed a second superseding indictment naming “CC-1” as Vikash Yadav, describing him as an official with the Cabinet Secretariat under the Prime Minister’s Office. The Ministry of External Affairs later said he was “no longer an employee of the government of India.”Five days before Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration this year, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement that a high-powered government committee has recommended “legal action” against “an individual”. It also acknowledged gaps in procedures that needed to be fixed, suggesting Yadav had acted independently.On August 11, The Indian Express reported that investigators were also probing Yadav’s possible links with a suspected member of the Mahadev Online Book betting network in Dubai.Meanwhile, co-accused Abdullah Khan sought further extension of his passport release to accompany his father, who has been diagnosed with chronic blood cancer (essential thrombocytosis), to Dubai, Singapore, and the UK for medical opinions. The court granted the request, observing that Khan had previously been permitted to travel abroad and had not misused the liberty. His passport release was extended until October 17, when the case is next listed for hearing.