The U.S. Justice Department unveiled an indictment against Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer, accused of orchestrating a failed assassination attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh American critical of the Indian government. Aged 39, Yadav allegedly plotted to assassinate Pannun, a proponent of the Sikh separatist movement and a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, in New York City. At the time, Yadav worked for the Research and Analysis Wing, India's foreign intelligence agency.
Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the Justice Department's commitment to holding accountable those who threaten and silence American citizens, irrespective of their power or influence. The indictment coincides with discussions between U.S. officials and an Indian committee in Washington, exploring India's alleged involvement in this murder plot. This development follows Canada’s expulsion of Indian diplomats linked to the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist, on Canadian soil. In retaliation, India expelled Canadian diplomats and rebuffed the accusations.
Court records reveal that Yadav directed the New York assassination from India in May 2023. Though no longer employed by the Indian government, Yadav remains unapprehended. The indictment describes how Yadav enlisted Nikhil Gupta, 53, by promising to dismiss a criminal case against Gupta in India if he organized the murder. Gupta agreed, and Yadav assured him that the case was 'taken care of' and suggested a meeting between Gupta and an Indian deputy police commissioner. Gupta, under Yadav's guidance, contacted an associate who was actually a confidential source cooperating with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This source introduced Yadav to a supposed hitman, actually an undercover DEA agent. Yadav and Gupta arranged a $15,000 advance payment to the undercover operative for the assassination. Gupta instructed that the hit should not coincide with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s U.S. visit in late June 2023. U.S. intelligence agencies have deduced that senior officials from the Modi administration likely sanctioned the plot, according to reports from the Washington Post. However, India's Ministry of External Affairs maintained that targeted killings are 'not our policy.'
The indictment also notes Nijjar's murder by masked gunmen in Canada last June, with Yadav stating that Nijjar had also been targeted, thus accelerating plans against Pannun. Yadav and his team reportedly gathered extensive personal details about Pannun, including his address, phone numbers, and daily habits. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and extradited to the U.S. Yadav faces charges of murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen conveyed that these charges illustrate the rise in violent transnational repression against diaspora communities in the U.S. Pannun, after the indictment announcement, asserted that the U.S. government has demonstrated its dedication to protecting its citizens' rights, such as life, liberty, and free speech, through these charges. As the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice, Pannun, who advocates for the formation of Khalistan, an independent state in India's Punjab region, condemned the assassination attempt.
He criticized the plot as an instance of India’s transnational terrorism, challenging American sovereignty and threatening democratic values. Pannun emphasized that while India resorts to violence, pro-Khalistan Sikhs opt for democratic means of expression. Contributions to this report were made by Reuters.
