Vikash Yadav, a former officer of India’s intelligence agency, has denied allegations of orchestrating a failed assassination attempt on a Sikh separatist leader in New York. Yadav, named by U.S. federal prosecutors in a newly unsealed indictment, is charged with money laundering, conspiracy, and leading a murder-for-hire plot. The charges have stirred diplomatic tensions, as they follow accusations against India for similar actions in Canada. India has responded with caution, saying it is investigating the claims but distancing itself from Yadav, asserting he is no longer a government employee.
Yadav’s family, however, has fiercely rejected the accusations, painting a picture of a man wrongfully implicated in a global political feud. In a village interview, his cousin, Avinash Yadav, expressed disbelief, emphasizing the family’s lack of knowledge about any intelligence links and calling the charges “false media reports.”
The Allegations
According to the U.S. indictment, Vikash Yadav was an officer in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s foreign intelligence agency, which operates under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office. Prosecutors allege that Yadav led a covert scheme to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. and Canadian citizen and founder of the Sikh separatist group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The SFJ advocates for the creation of an independent Sikh state, Khalistan, in northwestern India. The Indian government has labeled Pannun a “terrorist,” and his organization is banned in India.
Yadav is accused of orchestrating the assassination plot alongside Nikhil Gupta, a co-conspirator who has already been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic. Gupta, currently held in a Brooklyn jail, has pleaded not guilty. The plot, according to prosecutors, was intended to eliminate Pannun, who has been a vocal critic of the Indian government and has garnered significant support from sections of the Sikh diaspora, particularly in North America.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Avinash Yadav, speaking from their ancestral village of Pranpura, approximately 100 kilometers from New Delhi, dismissed the allegations against his cousin as baseless. He stated that he regularly speaks to Vikash but was never informed of any intelligence activities.
“The family has no information. He never mentioned anything about being an intelligence officer,” Avinash said, adding that for the family, Vikash was still an officer with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a paramilitary organization in India. According to the cousin, Yadav had told his family that he held the rank of deputy commandant with the CRPF.
“We have no reason to doubt him. For us, he’s still working for the CRPF and living his life with his wife and daughter,” Avinash added. The family claims to be unaware of Yadav’s current location.
The Indian government has adopted a careful stance, claiming it is investigating the allegations. However, it has refused to confirm whether Yadav was ever employed by the Research and Analysis Wing. In a statement, a government spokesperson reiterated that Yadav was not currently a government employee, leaving open the question of whether he had any prior association with RAW.
New Delhi has expressed concern over what it perceives as a politically motivated campaign aimed at maligning its image on the global stage. “We are evaluating the charges, but we won’t engage in speculation. Let the due process of law take its course,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. It did not elaborate on the possibility of cooperating with a U.S. extradition request, which remains under consideration according to unnamed officials quoted in Indian media.
The accusations against Yadav come at a time when India’s counterterrorism efforts have been under scrutiny from Western governments, especially in light of recent tensions with Canada. Sikh separatism has long been a thorny issue for India, dating back to the insurgencies of the 1980s in the state of Punjab. While the demand for an independent Khalistan has largely subsided within India, the movement continues to find support among segments of the Sikh diaspora in countries like the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
In June 2023, the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another prominent Sikh separatist leader, in British Columbia, led to an escalating diplomatic dispute between Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of being involved in Nijjar’s murder, prompting a sharp response from New Delhi, which rejected the claims as “preposterous.” The resulting diplomatic spat saw both nations expelling diplomats in retaliation.
The parallels between the cases of Nijjar and Pannun have fueled speculation that India is intensifying efforts to suppress Khalistan advocacy abroad. Matthew Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice, described Yadav’s indictment as “a grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States.”
The indictment of Yadav highlights growing concerns over transnational repression, a phenomenon where governments target political dissidents and activists living in other countries. This practice has increasingly caught the attention of Western law enforcement and intelligence agencies, particularly as it pertains to regimes in China, Russia, and now, potentially India.
Yadav’s alleged role in the plot to assassinate Pannun fits a broader pattern of extraterritorial targeting. “This case marks a significant moment in how governments are dealing with the threats posed by authoritarian regimes or other countries using violence or coercion against diaspora communities,” said David Malet, a professor of international security at American University.
Malet noted that if proven, the accusations against Yadav would severely strain India’s relations with Western nations, particularly those with large Sikh populations. “Such actions, if linked back to state actors, could lead to sanctions and deteriorating diplomatic ties,” he warned.
While Nikhil Gupta has already been extradited to the U.S., Vikash Yadav remains at large, believed to be somewhere in India. His arrest in December 2023 in New Delhi, as reported by a police officer who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, initially led to charges of attempted murder. However, the specifics of that case remain unclear, and it appears unrelated to the U.S. indictment.
Yadav’s lawyer, RK Hindoo, has vehemently denied the charges against his client, calling them “fallacious” and part of an “international plot to bring shame on the government of India and my client.” Hindoo claims there is no credible evidence linking Yadav to RAW or to any murder-for-hire scheme.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials have signaled their intention to request Yadav’s extradition. However, extradition proceedings are often lengthy and fraught with diplomatic sensitivities, especially when national security issues are involved. If India chooses to resist the extradition request, it could lead to a prolonged legal battle.
The unfolding case has already caused ripples in diplomatic circles. U.S.-India relations, which have been on an upward trajectory due to mutual concerns about China and defense cooperation, may face fresh challenges. While both nations have emphasized the importance of security ties, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, the allegations of state-sponsored assassination plots could prove a sticking point.
The accusations also add to the already volatile relationship between India and Canada. Following the Nijjar incident, both countries have engaged in tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats. The addition of new allegations surrounding Yadav and Pannun could exacerbate tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, as well as between New Delhi and Washington.
For India, which has long prided itself on being a democratic state with a robust legal system, these allegations are a public relations disaster. The country is keen to avoid being lumped together with regimes like Russia or China, which have been accused of engaging in extrajudicial killings of political dissidents abroad.
