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Informist, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024

NEW DELHI – The US Justice Department has announced filing of an indictment against former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav, charging him with plotting the foiled assassination attempt of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City last year. The 39-year-old Yadav, a former Research and Analysis Wing officer, was charged with murder-for-hire and money laundering.

The Justice Department claimed that Yadav recruited Nikhil Gupta, who was arrested in June 2023 in Prague, to orchestrate the killing of Pannun. Gupta agreed to hire an assassin to murder Pannun in exchange for Yadav's assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against him in India.

"As alleged, last year, we foiled an attempt by Vikash Yadav, an Indian government employee, and his co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, to assassinate an American citizen on US soil. We charge that Yadav, an employee of the Indian government, used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on US soil," the US Justice Department said in a release.

Last year, the department had charged Nikhil Gupta with conspiring to assassinate Pannun. In June 2023, Gupta travelled to Prague from India and was arrested by Czech authorities at the request of the US. He was extradited to the US where he pleaded not guilty in the court.

"But, as alleged, Gupta did not work alone. Today, we announce charges against an Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, who orchestrated the plot from India and directed Gupta to hire a hitman to murder the victim," the department said. Yadav "remains at large", the Department of Justice said.

The Justice Department alleged that Yadav, in May 2023, worked together with others in India and abroad to direct a plot to assassinate Pannun, an attorney and political activist residing in New York City. "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 the Drug Enforcement Administration, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a Drug Enforcement Administration undercover officer," the Justice Department said.

It further claimed that in June 2023, approximately two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US, masked gunmen murdered Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an associate of Pannun, outside a Sikh temple in Canada. "On or about Jun 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the undercover officer that Nijjar "was also the target" and "we have so many targets". Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim," the Justice Department said.

The Indian government has, however, denied its association or involvement in such a plot. Following allegations by the US, the Indian government had set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter. The US has expressed satisfaction with cooperation from India on this. "The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the government of India," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated.  End

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

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