The United States has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly orchestrating a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City.
Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and a prominent critic of the Indian government, advocates for a separate Sikh homeland. The US Justice Department revealed the indictment on Thursday, accusing Yadav, 39, of conspiring with individuals in India and abroad to carry out the assassination.
According to the indictment, Yadav, who was an employee of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) intelligence service at the time, hired an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to execute the plot. Gupta was arrested in Prague last year and extradited to the United States, where he has pleaded not guilty. = Yadav remains in India, and US authorities are expected to pursue his extradition.
The case bears similarities to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which took place in Canada in 2023. That killing has been linked to Indian agents, sparking diplomatic tensions between India and Canada. US officials believe Gupta, who allegedly worked on behalf of Yadav, moved forward with the plot against Pannun after Nijjar's killing, believing there was "no need to wait" any longer.
The accusations have strained relations between India and its Western allies, including the United States and Canada, who have often viewed India as a strategic partner in counterbalancing China’s influence.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said that acts of violence against individuals in the US exercising their constitutional rights would not be tolerated. The US Justice Department’s charges against Yadav include murder-for-hire and money laundering.
(Inputs from Reuters)
