The U.S. has charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen who advocates for Khalistan, an independent Sikh state. The charges mark the first time the U.S. has directly implicated the Indian government in an assassination attempt on a dissident.
The indictment, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, accuses Yadav of directing a murder-for-hire plot and money laundering. Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national involved in the case, was extradited from Prague earlier this year.
According to U.S. authorities, Yadav recruited Gupta in May 2023, offering to dismiss criminal charges against him in India in exchange for orchestrating the assassination. In June, Yadav allegedly provided Gupta with Pannun’s personal details, including his New York home address and daily activities. Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, was targeted for exercising his First Amendment rights, according to the FBI.
India’s foreign ministry has stated that the individual named in the indictment is no longer employed by the government but did not confirm Yadav’s identity. India has labeled Pannun a terrorist, though he denies the accusations, claiming to be a peaceful activist.
The charges come just days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, escalating tensions between the two nations. India has dismissed Trudeau’s allegations as “preposterous.”
U.S. officials are now seeking Yadav’s extradition. Meanwhile, the State Department has urged India to cooperate with Canada’s ongoing investigation.
