U.S. Accuses Ex-Indian Officer of Coordinating Assassination Plot Against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

The United States has charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikas Yadav with orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City. Yadav, a former employee of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), faces charges of murder-for-hire and money laundering. The FBI emphasized that it will not tolerate violent acts against individuals exercising their rights in the U.S.

The plot reportedly began in May 2023, with Yadav allegedly collaborating with individuals in India and abroad to carry out the assassination. Nikhil Gupta, recruited by Yadav, was arrested in Prague and extradited to the U.S., where he pleaded not guilty. U.S. authorities claim Gupta felt urgency to kill Pannun after the murder of another Khalistani terrorist in Canada.

Yadav is accused of hiring an individual for $100,000 to execute the killing, unaware that the hired assassin was an undercover FBI informant. Just before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S., Yadav allegedly instructed Gupta to delay the assassination to avoid diplomatic repercussions. The Indian government has stated that Yadav is no longer associated with them, calling the U.S. indictment “completely unwarranted.”