The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a federal warrant for the arrest of Vikash Yadav, a former Indian government employee of the Cabinet Secretariat which houses India’s foreign intelligence agency the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Yadav is accused on the charges of murder-for-hire and money laundering, and the US is expected to pursue his extradition from India. Yadav, currently at large and believed to be in India, faces serious charges related to a foiled assassination plot targeting a U.S. citizen, believed to be Khalistan Separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York City.
The demand for Khalistan, a sovereign state for the Sikhs, has been a thorn in India’s side since the 70s and is once again in the headlines thanks to several allegations by the West accusing India of orchestrating targeted attacks against its supporters. Since these supporters are citizens of the Western countries, i.e. the United States and Canada, their deaths are being viewed as transnational repression-intimidation and killing of people in other nations.
Such was the case with death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh extremist and Khalistan supporter who was gunned down outside a Gurudwara in Surrey, allegedly by Indian agents. Similarly, the US also reportedly foiled an assassination attempt against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of banned separatist organisation, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The plot was allegedly orchestrated by Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, and Yadav.
The charges are part of a second superseding indictment unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, has already been charged and extradited to the United States.
Details of US murder plot
In 2023, Yadav, along with Gupta and others, orchestrated a plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City. Yadav, “a former Indian government employee”, allegedly directed the plot from India.
As per the Department of Justice, Gupta, an Indian national involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking, contacted a supposed criminal associate, who was actually a DEA confidential source (CS). The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was an undercover DEA officer (UC). Yadav agreed to pay the undercover operative US$100,000 to carry out the assassination. On June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the operative as an advance payment in Manhattan.
While the Department of Justice did not name the victim, it is believed to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a vocal critic of the Indian government. Pannun leads a U.S.-based organization advocating for the secession of Punjab to establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan. The Indian government has banned Pannun and his organization from India.
Canada’s allegations
Canada has alleged India’s involvement in the murder of another Khalistani separatist on their soil, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, allegations which India has vehemently denied and have resulted in sour relations between the two countries. India was adamant that Canada had no concrete proof of the allegations. Canada later admitted that the allegations were based on reliable intelligence from Anglosphere Intelligence Alliance, Five Eyes.
Canada had accused India of orchestrating activities such as murder and torture against multiple citizens, particularly of the Sikh community. However, officials declined to say who else other than Nijjar had been killed as part of these activities.
Canadian PM Trudeau said that after receiving intel, the government reached out to India for co-operation in the investigation, a request which was denied by India. Instead, India has now launched an aggressive campaign against the Trudeau administration, calling their allegations to be politically motivated and baseless.
India has also called out Canada to safeguard the extremists and allowing separatist sentiments to flourish under the guise of free speech. India’s claims are substantiated by Canada’s previous negligence of Indian intelligence regarding Khalistan extremism, which could have allegedly prevented the Air India flight-182 bombing in 1985, killing 329 people. This raises a pertinent question, why is the west not concerned about the extremism?
‘Does not affect the West directly’
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Canadian security expert Joe Adam George said that the Khalistan movement does not pose a direct threat to Western nations. This perception, he mentioned, has led to these countries to dismiss India’s concerns about Khalistani extremism.
“So, hence which is why you see Western countries try and downplay or ignore India’s pleas, no matter how legitimate India’s concerns may be”, he said.
George also referred to the 1985 Air India bombing, Canada’s worst terror attack, to explain the Canadian government’s negligence. “There was a poll done last year which found that 9 out of 10 Canadians are not aware of or have little knowledge about the Air India bombing. So that itself tells you, why the Canadian government does not look into the Khalisani issue seriously,” he said.
He also pointed out the religious factor which the Canadian government does not seem to acknowledge, that is separating separatist militancy with the Sikh religion, saying that India “assumes that all Sikhs are Khalistanis and all Khalistanis are Sikhs, and that’s where the problem lies fundamentally.
India is far from being a low-profile, it is thriving. As the world’s most populous nation, it stands as an economic giant, a crucial trading partner, and a highly sought-after ally for the United States, the European Union, and others.
Despite this, the recent tensions between Canada and India are likely to increase pressure on Western governments to address issues of transnational repression.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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