Indian intelligence officer charged in US over plot to kill Pannun

AN INDIAN intelligence officer has been charged in the US for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

According to the US Justice Department, the official, Vikash Yadav, 39, faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and money laundering.

Yadav, who remains at large, is accused of directing a failed attempt to kill Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen based in New York.

This marks the second time an Indian national has been charged in connection with the plot. Nikhil Gupta, 53, pleaded not guilty in June after being extradited from the Czech Republic to the US for his alleged role in the assassination attempt.

Pannun, a leader with the New York-based Sikhs for Justice, which advocates for the secession of Punjab, called the plot "a blatant case of India's transnational terrorism" and a "threat to freedom of speech and democracy."

According to the Justice Department, Yadav recruited Gupta in May 2023 to hire a hitman to carry out the killing. Gupta reportedly sought the help of someone he believed to be a criminal associate, who turned out to be a confidential source working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

"Yadav, an employee of the Indian government, used his position of authority and access to confidential information to direct the attempted assassination of an outspoken critic of the Indian government here on US soil," DEA chief Anne Milgram said.

Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasised that the Justice Department will "hold accountable any person -- regardless of their position or proximity to power -- who seeks to harm and silence American citizens."

The Justice Department stated that Yadav worked for the Indian government's Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees its foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

On Wednesday, the US said it was informed by India that the intelligence operative accused in the plot is no longer in government service. "They did inform us that the individual who was named in the Justice Department indictment is no longer an employee of the Indian government," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, adding that the US was "satisfied with the cooperation."

The case contrasts with Canada's response to similar accusations. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau recently accused India of involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil, leading both countries to expel each other’s ambassadors. India denied the allegations, suggesting Trudeau had political motives.

Canada, which is home to the largest Sikh community outside India, has been vocal about the issue, while the US has taken a more diplomatic approach.

(With inputs from AFP)