New Delhi:
The United States has indicted former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav on suspicion of orchestrating the attempted murder of New York City-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Panun.
Yadav, formerly of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is accused of coordinating the assassination attempt on Panun, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. The U.S. Department of Justice indicted him on charges of commissioned murder and money laundering.
“The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other acts of retaliation against U.S. residents who exercise their constitutionally protected rights,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.
The conspiracy began in May 2023, with Yadav, then an Indian government official, allegedly collaborating with individuals inside and outside India to carry out the assassination. The intended target, Gurpatwant Singh Panun, is India’s designated terrorist and defender of Khalistan, the proposed independent Sikh homeland to be carved out of India.
Yadav, 39, remains in India, but U.S. authorities are expected to pursue his extradition to face charges in the U.S., Reuters reported.
Plot details
Yadav is accused of recruiting Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, to carry out the assassination. Mr. Gupta was arrested in Prague in June last year after traveling from India and was later extradited to the United States, where he pleaded not guilty. The indictment describes how Yadav hired Mr. Gupta to “organize the assassination of the victim in the United States.”
U.S. authorities allege that Mr. Gupta felt the urgency to kill Mr. Pannun, especially after the killing of another Khalistan terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada in 2023. The indictment says that after Mr. Nijjar’s murder, Mr. Gupta believed there was “no need for it now.” Waiting for Pannun’s assassination.
According to the indictment, Yadav and Gupta allegedly contracted individuals to carry out the killings for $100,000. The FBI later discovered that the hired assassin was actually an FBI informant working undercover. In June 2023, days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States, the informant received a $15,000 advance payment for the murder from Mr. Yadav and Mr. Gupta. The transaction reportedly took place in a car in New York, and photos of the exchange are included in the indictment.
The indictment also includes a photo of Yadav in military uniform. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Yadav instructed Mr. Gupta and his hired assassins to delay the killing until after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to avoid diplomatic fallout during the high-profile event.
“A few minutes later, Mr. Yadav sent a message to Mr. Gupta, instructing him to ‘let them check for themselves…if we have proof that he is inside…we will allow it.’ ” he said. The indictment reads:
“Completely unfair”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) yesterday confirmed that the “individuals” named in the US Department of Justice’s indictment are no longer affiliated with the Indian government.
“The US Department of State has informed us that the person indicted by the Department of Justice is no longer employed by the Government of India. I can confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir said.・Mr. Jaiswal said.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed yesterday that an Indian delegation met with interagency teams from the FBI, Justice Department, and State Department. “We are happy with the cooperation,” Miller told reporters. “This continues to be an ongoing process. We continue to work with them on this matter and appreciate their cooperation, and as we keep them updated on our investigation.” We also thank them for updating us on their investigation.”
In September, a US court issued a subpoena to the Indian government over Panun’s civil suit, alleging a murder plot. The Indian government deemed the summons “totally unwarranted.”
The subpoena named the Indian government, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, as well as Yadav and Gupta, and asked them to respond within 21 days.
External Affairs Minister Vikram Misri said, “When these issues first came to our attention, we took action. There is a high-level committee involved (in this issue). I want people to pay attention to the person who brought this up.”