An improbable crime.

"A Delhi court...cancelled a non-bailable warrant against former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer Vikash Yadav, two days after it was issued." Yadav 'failed to appear at the Patiala House Courts in a case of alleged kidnapping and extortion that was filed against him weeks after the US named him in the murder-for-hire plot, identifying him as CC-1 at the time." The Wire. In October 2024, "The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said...that it had registered 'murder-for-hire and money laundering charges' against Vikash Yadav for trying to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun." Pannun supports an independent Sikh state Khalistan. "The indictment of Yadav, for the first time, implicates the Indian government directly in the attempted assassination of a dissident." "The Indian government said it is cooperating with the investigation." BBC. "Yadav is an Indian national based in India and used 'Amanat' as an alias when communicating with his co-conspirator, another Indian national, to facilitate the murder plot." fbi.gov. Indian national Nikhil Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on 30 June 2023 and extradited to the US on 14 June 2024. justice.gov. Vikash Yadav was allegedly handling Gupta to arrange a hit on Pannun. In the initial indictment of Nikhil Gupta in November 2023, Yadav was referred to as CC-1. "CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a 'Senior Field Officer' with responsibilities in 'Security Management' and 'Intelligence' and who has also referenced previously serving in India's Central Reserve Police Force and receiving 'officer training' in 'battle craft' and 'weapons'. In about May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination (of Pannun)." jusitce.gov. Within weeks of the indictment, Vikash Yadav "was arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police on December 18, 2023, for allegedly kidnapping a businessman in Rohini and extorting money on behalf of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi." TOI. In a bizarre twist, "The owner of a cafe in Delhi who had accused former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer Vikash Yadav of kidnapping and attempted murder last year, was also arrested on the charge of kidnapping another businessman 10 years ago." The Print, 20 October 2024. Charges were framed against nine individuals in the plot to kidnap the businessman on 24 March 2015 but all were acquitted in April 2023. "An episode of true crime series Crime Patrol from 2014 also featured a similar plot." A comedy of villainy to try and prevent extradition of Vikash Yadav to the US, and subsequent interrogation, by dragging a ridiculous case for years through the courts.  Investigative agencies in India are alleged to harass citizens with false accusations at the government's bidding. The Wire. This is perhaps the first time a false case has been filed to protect a government employee from a long sentence in a US prison. Will the US Justice Department fall for this con trick? Depends on what they will extract in return. Could be costly. For India.