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Yadav was charged with conspiracy to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The United States has indicted a former Indian intelligence officer for allegedly leading a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen who was defending Khalistan — an independent Sikh state carved out of India.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said Thursday it has filed “murder-for-hire and money laundering charges” against Vikash Yadav for attempting to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Yadav's indictment for the first time directly implicates the Indian government in the attempted assassination of a dissident.
The Indian government said it was cooperating with the ongoing US investigation. He is yet to respond to the specific accusations against Yadav.
Earlier this year, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national also charged in the case, was extradited to the United States from a prison in Prague.
Washington has accused Indian agents of being involved in an assassination attempt against Pannun, a dual American and Canadian citizen. India has labeled Pannun a terrorist, although he denies the allegation, saying he is a militant defender of Khalistan.
On Thursday, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the individual referred to as “CC-1” in the U.S. Justice Department indictment was no longer employed by the Indian government. . However, he did not provide a specific name, leaving it unclear whether he was referring to Yadav, who is widely believed to be the same person.
According to the indictment, Yadav was the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate Pannun and he recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination in exchange for the dismissal of charges against him in India.
US Department of Justice
A photo of Vikash Yadav released by the US Department of Justice
“Around June 2023, as part of the assassination plot, Yadav provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim's New York home address, telephone numbers associated with the victim, and details on the victim's daily activities. daily conduct,” the indictment states.
Yadav's indictment comes days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian agents were involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, sparking a new feud that led both countries to expel diplomats.
India has dismissed the allegations as “absurd”, accusing Trudeau of pandering to Canada's large Sikh community for political purposes.
Who is Vikash Yadav?
The indictment describes Yadav as a “citizen and resident of India.” He has also been called Vikas and Amanat.
It indicates that he was part of the Indian government secretariat, within which the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country's main intelligence agency, operates. RAW falls under the authority of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
The indictment further states that Yadav had described his position as that of a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence.”
He adds that he also served in India's Central Reserve Paramilitary Police Force (CRPF) and received training in “combat gear and weapons”.
The US State Department said it was pleased with India's cooperation in the investigation into the alleged assassination plot.
Meanwhile, relations between India and Canada continue to deteriorate, with Delhi and Ottawa firing a barrage of accusations at each other.
Mr. Jaiswal said Thursday that India had repeatedly asked Canada to extradite individuals suspected of being part of the group of imprisoned Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, but had received no response.
Canadian police said Indian government agents used members of Bishnoi's gang to carry out “homicides, extortion and violence” and target supporters of the pro-Khalistan movement. India has denied the allegations, saying Canada has not provided any evidence about them.
India's accusations came in response to Mr Trudeau's claims that India had made a “massive mistake” if it was behind the death of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil.
