The US Justice Department has charged Vikas Yadav, a former officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), with directing an assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent Sikh separatist leader who advocates for the creation of Khalistan.
Pannun, a US-Canadian dual citizen, has been a vocal figure pushing for a separate Sikh homeland, which India has labeled a serious security threat. RAW Official Charged with Murder-For-Hire and Money Laundering
According to a report by PTI, Yadav faces three charges, including murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is alleged to have conspired with Nikhil Gupta, a co-conspirator who was arrested in Czechoslovakia last year and is currently in a US jail following extradition. Yadav, however, “remains at large,” according to the US Department of Justice.
Denial of Involvement by Indian Government
The Indian government has denied any involvement in the assassination plot. Following the allegations, New Delhi set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
According to the US State Department, cooperation between the two nations on this issue has been ongoing, and India has updated the US on its investigation. US officials have expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation. Indian Official No Longer Employed by Government
In a meeting between Indian and US officials, members of India’s Committee of Inquiry were informed that Yadav is no longer an employee of the Indian government. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller described the meeting as “productive” and confirmed that both sides had updated each other on their respective investigations.
Assassination Plot
The unsealed 18-page indictment contains detailed information about the assassination plot. It includes a photograph of Yadav in military dress and a picture showing two individuals exchanging money in a car in New York, which federal prosecutors allege was payment for the planned killing. On June 9, 2023, an advance of $15,000 was reportedly paid for the murder.
Connection to Modi’s State Visit to the US
The plot coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, which took place on June 22, 2023. The indictment claims that Yadav instructed the hired killer not to carry out the assassination during or immediately before the state visit.
Link to Nijjar’s Assassination in Canada
The indictment also reveals a connection between this plot and the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada during the same period. Communications between Yadav, Gupta, and the alleged assassin suggest coordination between the two incidents.
With Inputs From PTI