Vikash Yadav: Ex-Indian intelligence officer charged in failed plot to murder Sikh separatist in US

The US government on Thursday unsealed an indictment against Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer, accusing him of leading a failed attempt to assassinate Indian-American Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 2023. 

The charges were revealed alongside strong statements from senior US law enforcement officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray, stressing that Washington will not tolerate foreign nationals targeting American citizens on US soil.

The case has added tension to the US-India relationship at a time when both nations have developed a strategic partnership, especially against a common rival in China. Simultaneously, India is grappling with similar allegations from Canada, which has further strained its international relations.

Yadav, a 39-year-old Indian national, was employed by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s external intelligence agency, and is believed to have orchestrated the murder plot from India. 

The indictment alleges that Yadav, also known as Vikas or by the alias Amanat, directed an associate, Nikhil Gupta, to carry out the assassination of Pannun, providing detailed information about Pannun’s home, phone number, and daily activities.

The US Justice Department revealed that Yadav remains at large and is believed to be in India. It is unclear whether the US has formally requested his extradition.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, confirmed that Yadav is no longer an employee of the Indian government. 

While distancing itself from the plot, India has stated that it is conducting its own internal investigation and denied involvement in extra-territorial killings. New Delhi maintains that any individuals involved in such a plot acted without authorization from the highest levels of the government.

The US indictment details how Yadav allegedly recruited Gupta in May 2023 to hire a hitman to kill Pannun. Gupta unwittingly hired an undercover US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent to carry out the hit. He agreed to pay $100,000 for the murder, with an advance payment of $15,000 made in Manhattan in June 2023.

Yadav instructed Gupta to avoid carrying out the assassination during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US in June 2023. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic later that month and extradited to the US where he pleaded not guilty to charges of involvement in the murder-for-hire plot.

The indictment also links Yadav to the June 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, describing Nijjar as an associate of Pannun. The plot thickened as Yadav allegedly sent Gupta a video of Nijjar’s murder as proof of success and motivation for Pannun’s targeted killing.

Pannun, a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement, advocates for a separate Sikh state comprising parts of Indian Punjab. He has remained vocal in his opposition to the Indian government, particularly over its treatment of Sikh separatists.

After the indictment was unsealed, Pannun took to social media to express gratitude toward US authorities for safeguarding American citizens. He referred to Yadav as a “mid-tier soldier” acting on orders from top Indian officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and RAW chief Samant Goel. 

According to Pannun, these officials orchestrated the assassination attempt to suppress the Khalistan Referendum campaign, which seeks to achieve secession from India through democratic means.

Despite the failed assassination attempt, Pannun said he would continue organising for the Khalistan cause, with plans for a referendum in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 2024.