From Pannun Case to Mahadev Betting Scam: Ex-RAW Officer in Fresh Controversy
Former RAW officer Vikash Yadav — named by US authorities as a co-conspirator in an alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun — has now been linked to an accused in the “Mahadev Online Book” betting racket, officials said.
Yadav was arrested on 18 December 2023 by the Delhi Police Special Cell after a Rohini resident lodged an FIR accusing him of kidnapping and extortion, allegedly in connection with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. His arrest came barely three weeks after his name figured in the US indictment related to the Pannun case.
According to police, the investigation into the Rohini case led to the arrest of Jalaluddin alias Sameer on 1 July in Chanakyapuri for his suspected role in a criminal conspiracy, The Indian Express reported.
“The probe revealed that Jalaluddin, who was working with the online betting app in Dubai, approached Yadav to kidnap the complainant and threaten him for defaulting on payments. Yadav then involved his associate Khan, a car dealer, and the two received ₹16 lakh through hawala from Jalaluddin,” sources claimed.
Investigators are likely to alert the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is already probing the Mahadev scam, about Jalaluddin’s involvement.
As per the FIR, the complainant alleged that Yadav told him there was a “supari” from Bishnoi at Jalaluddin’s behest. Abdullah Khan allegedly brandished a pistol and accused the complainant of holding back money.
The FIR further claims that Yadav received a call from Jalaluddin during which he said the complainant had been given “the first dose of injection”. The complainant also alleged that Khan hit him on the head, looted his gold ornaments, and later took cash from a café he owned.
On 23 July, Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Partap Singh Laler, while hearing Jalaluddin’s bail plea, barred him from leaving the country without court permission, prohibited him from influencing witnesses, and noted that his passport had already been seized.
All three accused — Yadav, Khan, and Jalaluddin — are currently out on bail. Police are preparing to file a supplementary chargesheet.
The complainant’s counsel, Rahul Thukral, said they will challenge Jalaluddin’s bail in the Delhi High Court. “Even after the FIR in 2023, he kept threatening the complainant. Now that he is out on bail, the complainant still fears for his safety,” Thukral said.
The Mahadev betting app scam involves alleged laundering of nearly ₹6,000 crore through illegal online betting platforms. The ED has already filed two charge sheets in a Chhattisgarh court after multiple raids.
