The U.S. Justice Department has unsealed an indictment against former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav, accusing him of directing a foiled assassination attempt in New York City against Sikh American man Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a vocal critic of the Indian government. Yadav, who was employed by India’s foreign intelligence agency, is charged with plotting to murder Pannun, a Sikh separatist leader. Court records reveal that Yadav directed the assassination from India and offered financial incentives to accomplices. The indictment also references the killing of another Sikh separatist leader in Canada, implicating senior officials in the Modi administration in the alleged plot.
Yadav remains at large, while one of his associates has been arrested and extradited to the U.S. in connection with the case. The indictment also suggests that Yadav was planning three additional killings in Canada. If convicted, Yadav faces up to 40 years in prison for charges including murder for hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Pannun, the target of the murder plot, commended the U.S. government for its commitment to protecting the rights of American citizens, emphasizing the threat posed by India’s alleged transnational terrorism. Pannun is the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice, a group advocating for the secession of Punjab – a state in India with a significant Sikh population – into an independent state called Khalistan. He believes that the assassination attempt on his life highlights India’s use of violence against those seeking self-determination for Sikhs in Punjab.
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