The United States has charged Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer, for allegedly orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York City. Yadav, a former officer in India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), remains at large, and an indictment was unsealed on Thursday, revealing his involvement in the scheme.
The plot was initially revealed last year when Nikhil Gupta was charged by U.S. federal prosecutors. Gupta was recruited by an unnamed Indian government official to carry out the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen and leader in the Sikh separatist movement.
FBI Director Christopher Wray condemned the plot, stating, "The FBI will not tolerate violence or retaliation against those exercising their constitutionally protected rights in the U.S."
Indian and U.S. officials met in Washington earlier this week to discuss the incident, a meeting described as "productive" by the U.S. State Department. The U.S. has been urging India to investigate its possible involvement in the plot.
The unsealing of Yadav’s indictment coincides with rising tensions between India and Canada. Last week, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats over alleged Indian involvement in the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada. India has strongly denied the allegations and retaliated by expelling Canadian diplomats.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently accused India of violating Canadian sovereignty, alleging Indian officials were involved in a campaign of violence against Sikh activists in Canada, including "drive-by shootings, home invasions, and violent extortion."
The situation has strained India's relationships with both Canada and the U.S. Sikh separatists, labeled as terrorists by India, have long sought an independent homeland called Khalistan, which would be carved out of Indian territory. An insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s resulted in tens of thousands of deaths in India.
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