The United States has formally charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikas Yadav, for allegedly orchestrating a plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City. Yadav, who was previously affiliated with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is accused of coordinating the assassination attempt on Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, and an advocate for the creation of Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland in India.
Charges and Allegations
The US Department of Justice has charged Yadav with murder-for-hire and money laundering. According to the indictment, the plot began in May 2023, when Yadav, allegedly still employed by the Indian government at the time, began collaborating with individuals in India and abroad to eliminate Pannun.
Yadav reportedly recruited Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, to carry out the assassination. Gupta was arrested in Prague in June 2023 while en route from India, and later extradited to the US. Gupta has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment details how Gupta was hired to orchestrate the assassination on US soil.
The FBI uncovered that the hitman hired to kill Pannun was an undercover FBI informant. In June 2023, just before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, Yadav and Gupta allegedly paid the informant $15,000 in advance for the assassination in a meeting in New York City. A photograph of the exchange has been included in the indictment.
Urgency Following Nijjar’s Killing
The plot gained urgency after the murder of another Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada in 2023. Gupta reportedly felt that with Nijjar dead, there was no need to wait to kill Pannun. The indictment also claims that Yadav instructed Gupta and the assassin to delay the killing until after Modi’s visit to avoid diplomatic fallout during the high-profile event.
Indian Government’s Response
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that Yadav is no longer employed by the Indian government. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India.”
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller acknowledged the cooperation between India and the US on the matter, stating that both countries continue to collaborate on the investigation.
Civil Suit and Diplomatic Tensions
In September 2023, a US court issued a summons to the Indian government in response to Pannun’s civil suit, which alleged a plot to kill him. The summons named several Indian officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and former R&AW chief Samant Goel, alongside Yadav and Gupta. The Indian government has called the summons “completely unwarranted.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the matter, saying that a high-level committee is engaged with the case, but dismissed the civil suit, stating, “When these issues were first brought to our attention, we took action.”
The case has the potential to strain diplomatic relations between the two countries, as the investigation continues to unfold. American officials are reportedly pursuing Yadav’s extradition from India to face charges in the US.
Sources By Agencies