Former Indian Official Charged in the US for Plotting to Assassinate Sikh Separatist

The US has charged a former Indian intelligence officer for allegedly orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate pro-Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. This charge follows closely after members of an Indian inquiry committee visited Washington for discussions on the issue. The US Justice Department’s second indictment in the “murder for hire” case was unsealed on Thursday. Shortly after India and the US confirmed that an Indian official. Previously referred to as “CC-1” in an earlier indictment, had been dismissed.

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US Charges Vikash Yadav in Assassination Plot and Money Laundering Case

The US Justice Department has filed murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against 39-year-old Vikash Yadav. Also known as Vikas and Amanat, for his alleged involvement in directing a failed plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City. While the indictments did not name the intended target, US officials have confirmed that the plot was aimed at Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Leader of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who has been designated a terrorist by India.

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Indian Officials Yet to Respond to New US Indictment

Indian officials have not yet issued a response to the latest indictment in the Unites States. Reports from Hindustan Times and other media outlets identified the official allegedly involved in the plot as Vikram Yadav. A Central Reserve Police Force officer who was assigned to the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s external intelligence agency. It remains unclear whether Vikram Yadav and Vikash Yadav, who is named in the indictment, are the same individual.

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Previous Indictment Revealed Plot’s International Coordination

In a prior indictment from November, United States prosecutors accused an individual referred to as “CC-1” of instructing Indian national Nikhil Gupta to carry out the assassination plot. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic and extradited to the US earlier this year. According to the US Justice Department’s statement, the recent indictment alleges that in 2023, Vikash Yadav, along with others including Gupta, coordinated a plan from India and elsewhere to assassinate a Unites States citizen of Indian origin, who is a political activist and attorney residing in New York City.

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