Can ex-RAW official Vikas Yadav be extradited to the US? What India-US Extradition Treaty says
Vikas Yadav, aka Amanat, has been named as the mastermind who orchestrated the intricate murder-for-hire scheme, but, unlike his co-conspirator Nikhil Gupta, the US has not sought the extradition of the 39-year-old, who was a CRPF official before he was deputed to RAW.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted Vikas Yadav, a former official of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in connection with the failed murder-for-hire plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The FBI has listed Yadav, a native of Haryana, as a wanted fugitive in the failed assassination plot that was uncovered in June 2023.
CREDIT: FBI
US charges Vikas Yadav
While Yadav, aka Amanat, has been named as the mastermind who orchestrated the intricate murder-for-hire scheme, unlike his co-conspirator Nikhil Gupta, the US has not sought the extradition of the 39-year-old, who was a CRPF official before he was deputed to RAW.
Also read: Who is Vikas Yadav, the former RAW officer listed as 'wanted' by FBI in Pannun assassination plot?
Nikhil Gupta extradited from Czech Republic
53-year-old Gupta, whom Yadav had roped in to hire a hitman to carry out a murder in New York, was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 at the behest of the US. He has since been extradited to the US and is facing trial in the case.
CREDIT: REUTERS
The two men face three charges along with Gupta: conspiracy to hire a hitman, the actual ¡°murder-for-hire¡± plot, and money laundering.
Vikas Yadav's whereabouts unknown
However, as far as Yadav, who was initially only named as CC1 (co-conspirator 1) in the November indictment, there is no extradition request yet.
According to the US, an Indian investigation team that looked into the allegations has informed them that Yadav is no longer an Indian government employee and that his whereabouts are unknown.
CREDIT: REUTERS
There are some reports that the US may seek Yadav's extradition if he is found guilty in the case.
India-US Extradition Treaty
It should be noted that India and the US have an Extradition Treaty that was signed on 25 June 1997 in Washington, DC.
According to the India-US Extradition Treaty, while extradition shall not be granted for a political offence, it can be done for charges including murder or other wilful crimes against a Head of State or Head of Government or a member of their family, aircraft hijacking offences, aviation sabotage, crimes against internationally protected persons including diplomats, hostage-taking, offences related to illegal drugs, or any other offences for which both India and US have an obligation to extradite the person pursuant to a multilateral international agreement.
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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