US charges ex-Indian spy allegedly linked to foiled Pannun assassination plot, unseals indictment

The United States has charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav for allegedly “directing” the foiled plot to kill pro-Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City last year. The indictment of the former intelligence officer was ordered to be unsealed on Thursday. This is the first time an Indian government official was charged and implicated in an assassination plot on US soil.

The court records showed that Yadav was a former officer in India’s Research and Analysis Wing spy service. According to The Washington Post, the move came after the US officials had refrained from charging Yadav in the 16 months since the assassination plot was foiled, out of an apparent reluctance to rupture relations with a crucial geopolitical ally.

The murder-for-hire plot first stirred headlines last year when federal prosecutors announced charges against a man named Nikhil Gupta. At that time it was revealed that Gupta was hired by an “unidentified Indian government official” to orchestrate Pannun’s assassination. The matter became more concerning for the US since the pro-Khalistani terrorist was an American citizen.

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India investigates the matter 

Meanwhile, the Indian government committee investigating the matter met with US officials earlier this week. The meeting held on Tuesday was described as “productive” by both sides.

“The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the US for exercising their constitutionally protected rights,” the FBI director, Christopher Wray, said in a statement after the indictment was unsealed.

It is pertinent to note that Yadav is currently in India and the United States is expected to seek his extradition of the 39-year-old former intelligence official. India, in fact, arrested Yadav several months ago. However, the charges against him were not directly linked to the assassination effort, The Washington Post reported.

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Interestingly, the indictment came on the heels of a surprise announcement Monday by Canada that it was expelling six Indian diplomats for involvement in the June 2023 killing of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. New Delhi has already denied allegations of any sort of involvement in Nijjar’s killing.

What does the indictment say

The unsealed court records alleged that “at YADAV’s direction, GUPTA contacted an individual whom GUPTA believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with US law enforcement.” The undercover American official then introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact another undercover officer.

It was eventually revealed that Yadav agreed to a deal brokered by Gupta and paid $100,000 for Pannun’s assassination. “On or about June 9, 2023, YADAV and GUPTA arranged through an associate of YADAV for the delivery of $15,000 in cash to the UC in Manhattan, New York, as an advance payment for the murder,” the court document read.

This will be the first time the US Justice Department will publicly name Yadav while investigating the matter. India is yet to respond to the latest indictment which has the potential to sour relations between Washington and New Delhi.

With inputs from agencies.