Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The United States has charged Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer, with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and money laundering, related to an alleged plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist. Yadav, 39, who worked for India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is currently not in custody.
The US Justice Department accused Yadav of directing the plot and hiring Nikhil Gupta, another Indian national, to find a hitman. Gupta, 53, had earlier pleaded not guilty after being extradited from the Czech Republic in June 2023.
Pannun, linked to the Sikhs for Justice group advocating for Punjab’s secession from India, was the target of the alleged assassination plot. According to the Justice Department, Yadav provided Gupta with personal details about Pannun, including his New York address and daily activities, which were passed on to a confidential source working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
DEA Chief Anne Milgram stated that Yadav used his authority and access to confidential information to orchestrate the assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government on US soil. The plot was reportedly timed to avoid coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US in June 2023.
This development adds to the tension between India and Canada over the murder of another separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, outside a Gurudwara in British Columbia. The US further claimed that a day after Nijjar’s killing, Gupta suggested there was “no need to wait” on Pannun’s murder.
The US Attorney General, Merrick Garland, emphasized that the US will not tolerate attempts to target and endanger its citizens, and will defend their rights.
India has since informed the US that Vikash Yadav is no longer an employee of the government, with the State Department expressing satisfaction with India’s cooperation in the case.
