Washington, October 18 – Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged an Indian official with plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in the US during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit last summer. The indictment, filed in a New York court on Thursday, names Vikas Yadav, 39, who was allegedly employed by India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as the key figure behind the plot.
Yadav, who is no longer believed to be employed by the Indian government, faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, was arrested in Czechoslovakia last year and later extradited to the US, where he remains in custody.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized that the Justice Department will not tolerate efforts to threaten American citizens or undermine their constitutional rights. FBI Director Christopher Wray echoed this sentiment, stating, “The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate to assassinate a US citizen exercising their First Amendment rights.”
The Indian government has denied involvement in the plot and has established a committee to investigate the claims. A US State Department spokesperson confirmed that India has cooperated with the ongoing investigation, with recent meetings between Indian and US officials described as “productive.”
The unsealed 18-page indictment includes images of Yadav in military attire and evidence showing the exchange of money in New York, which prosecutors allege was a payment for the assassination. The intended target, a US citizen and vocal critic of the Indian government, leads an organization advocating for the secession of Punjab, India’s Sikh-majority state, to form a sovereign Khalistan.
The plot was allegedly disrupted by US law enforcement, and the indictment also links the case to the recent murder of another Sikh separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada. Communications between Yadav, Gupta, and the hired assassin reveal coordination to kill the US-based Sikh leader, with instructions to delay the hit until after Modi’s state visit to the US in June 2023.
Sikh For Justice general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun applauded the US government’s actions, calling it a reaffirmation of its commitment to protect the life and freedom of its citizens, regardless of external pressures.
US authorities are continuing to pursue Yadav, who remains at large.
