The United States has indicted a former Indian intelligence officer for allegedly orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate an American citizen who supports the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state from India.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Thursday that Vikash Yadav faces charges of “murder-for-hire and money laundering” for attempting to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
This indictment marks the first time the Indian government has been directly implicated in an attempted assassination of a dissident. The Indian government has stated it is co-operating with the ongoing US investigation but has not yet addressed the specific charges against Yadav.
Earlier this year, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national implicated in the case, was extradited to the United States from a prison in Prague. Washington has accused Indian agents of involvement in an assassination attempt on Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen. India has labelled Pannun a terrorist, though he denies the accusation, claiming to be an activist advocating for Khalistan.
On Thursday, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that the individual referred to as “CC-1” in the US Justice Department’s indictment is 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 speculated to be the same person.
According to the indictment, Yadav was the mastermind behind the plot to murder Pannun. He allegedly recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination in exchange for having a case against him in India dismissed.
The indictment states that “In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, Yadav provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the victim, and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct.”
Yadav’s indictment follows closely on the heels of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusations that Indian agents were implicated in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. This controversy has ignited a diplomatic dispute, resulting in the expulsion of diplomats by both nations. India has dismissed these allegations as “preposterous,” charging Trudeau with appealing to Canada’s substantial Sikh population for political advantage.
Frances Ibiefo
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