A Delhi court has granted exemption from personal appearance to Vikash Yadav, accused of attempting to kill suspected Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US, in a kidnapping and extortion case filed against him after he claimed to have threatened his life.

Special judge Sumit Dass granted Yadav the exemption for November 16 on a request made by his lawyer, saying his personal details had been made public, putting his life in danger.

The judge ordered him to appear in court on February 3, the date of the next hearing.

Yadav was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in December last year following a complaint filed by a Delhi-based businessman, accusing him of extortion and kidnapping. An indictment was filed in March and Yadav was released on bail in April.

Yadav, said to be a former RAW official, was named by the US in connection with the failed assassination attempt on Pannun.

The petition filed before the court stated that “false and frivolous allegations have been made against the petitioner (Yadav) and the details of the petitioner, such as his residence, background as well as his photographs, have been published worldwide, exposing the applicant to a serious threat to his life due to nefarious elements.”

“The applicant is hounded by continuous surveillance by hostile elements who try to find him in all possible places, leaving him with no other choice but to ensure his safety in a confined place. The threat to the applicant’s life is clear, present and serious “The applicant’s imminent and potential physical appearance in court is likely to provide an opportunity to destroy the applicant,” the application states.

He claimed that even appearing via video conference was “extremely dangerous” as Yadav’s location could be detected through the use of electronic technology.

The applicant is keen to win his innocence through a trial and is represented by his lawyer, it is claimed.