Getty ImagesA former American intelligence officer has been charged by the United States with reportedly directing a thwarted plot to assassinate an British voter who supports Khalistan, an impartial Sikh state carved out of India.
Vikash Yadav was charged with murder-for-hire and wealth fraud, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on Thursday.
The indictment of Yadav, for the first time, implicates the Indian government directly in the attempted assassination of a dissident.
The American government has said that it was co-operating with the US ‘ ongoing research. It has not yet responded to the particular allegations brought against Yadav.
Earlier this year, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national also charged in the case, was extradited to the US from a prison in Prague.
Pannun, a double US citizen, has been accused of being a victim of an assassination attempt by Indian agencies in Washington. India has labeled Pannun a criminal, though he denies the argument, claiming to be an advocate advocating for Khalistan.
On Thursday, India’s international department spokeswoman, Randhir Jaiswal, stated that the person referred to as “CC-1” in the US Justice Department’s accusation is no longer employed by the American government. He did no, yet, give a particular brand, which made it difficult to tell if he was referring to Yadav, who is frequently mistaken for the same person.
In exchange for the dismissal of a circumstance against him in India, Yadav claimed to be the architect behind the plot to murder Pannun and that he had recruited Gupta as his collaborator in May 2023 to help him organize the death.
US Justice Department” In or about June 2023, in pursuit of the death story, Yadav provided Gupta with specific information about the victim, including the defendant’s home address in New York City, telephone numbers associated with the sufferer, and facts about the murderer’s day-to-day conduct”, the indictment says.
Yadav’s indictment comes days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian agents were involved in the killing of Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, setting off a new row that led to both countries expelling diplomats.
India has rejected the claims as “preposterous”, accusing Trudeau of pandering to Canada’s big Hindu society for political gain.
Who is Vikash Yadav?
Yadav is described in the prosecution as a” member and resident of India.” He has also been referred to as Amanat and Vikas.
It states that he was part of the Government of India’s cabinet secretary, under which the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW )- the country’s leading knowledge agency- operates. RAW falls under the authority of the Prime Minister’s Office ( PMO).
The prosecution further states that Yadav had described his place as” Senior Field Officer” with tasks in” security control” and “intelligence”.
He is also cited as having served in India’s paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF ) and had received training in “battlecraft and weapons” ( battlecraft and weapons ).
The US State Department expressed satisfaction with India’s assistance in the research into the alleged murder story.
India’s connection with Canada is deteriorating as Delhi and Ottawa continue to level the playing field in accusations.
Mr Jaiswal said on Thursday that India had repeatedly asked Canada to extradite individuals believed to be part of jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s group but had received no response.
The French police allege that agents of the American authorities were using members of Bishnoi’s gang to commit “homicides, blackmail, and harsh acts” and objective supporters of the pro-Khalistan movement. India has refuted the claim, claiming that no data from Canada has been provided in support of it.
India’s charges came in response to Mr. Trudeau’s claims that it had committed a “massive blunder” if it had been responsible for the death of a Sikh separatist leader on American soil.