A former Indian intelligence official is now facing serious federal charges in the U.S. for allegedly orchestrating a failed assassination plot targeting an American citizen in New York City. This individual is a prominent leader advocating for an independent Sikh homeland.
The indictment against Vikash Yadav, revealed in federal court in Manhattan, establishes a direct connection between the Indian government and what prosecutors characterize as a murder-for-hire scheme on U.S. soil.
Initially, the Justice Department announced this case last year, indicting Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national purportedly involved in drug and weapons trafficking. This earlier indictment referenced an unnamed Indian official who allegedly directed the assassination plot.
The recent indictment, unsealed Thursday, identifies Yadav as that official and makes him a co-defendant alongside Gupta. Both face charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, actual murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to launder money.
Gupta was apprehended last year in the Czech Republic and has since been extradited to the U.S., where he pleaded not guilty. Meanwhile, Yadav remains at large, according to the Justice Department.
“The Justice Department will be relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens,” stated Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
Target of the Alleged Plot
The intended target of the plot was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and lawyer, who serves as the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice and advocates for the establishment of a Sikh state in northern India.
Pannun expressed support for the indictment against Yadav, emphasizing that the “U.S. government has reassured its commitment to the fundamental constitutional duty to protect the life, liberty, and freedom of expression of American citizens at home and abroad.” He labeled the attempt on his life as indicative of India’s transnational terrorism, posing a challenge to America’s sovereignty and threatening free speech and democracy.
Assassination of a Sikh Leader in Canada
Contemporaneously with the alleged assassination plot against Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist leader and close associate of Pannun, was shot and killed in Canada.
Canadian authorities have arrested four Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar’s murder. Recently, Canada announced that India’s top diplomat and five other Indian diplomats in the country are considered persons of interest in the investigation, leading to their expulsion. Officials have asserted that there is evidence implicating Indian diplomats in efforts against Canadian citizens.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the involvement of foreign governments in threatening and endangering Canadian citizens, stating, “We will never tolerate such actions on Canadian soil.” India has outright rejected these accusations.
The assassination of Nijjar and the foiled plot against Pannun raise critical questions regarding India’s foreign conduct and serve to complicate U.S.-India relations. The Biden administration considers India a vital strategic counter to China’s global dominance.
Following the announcement of the foiled attempt on Pannun’s life, India initiated its own inquiry into the incident, although this move is met with skepticism in Washington. Recently, Indian officials involved in this inquiry met with their American counterparts, and a State Department spokesperson characterized the discussions as “productive.”
