U.S. Charges Indian Officer in Failed Assassination Plot

The U.S. Justice Department has charged former Indian intelligence officer Vikash Yadav with orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader and U.S.-Canadian citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City. Yadav, who worked for India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been indicted for murder-for-hire and money laundering, although he remains at large. Yadav allegedly directed the plot from India, recruiting Nikhil Gupta to execute the plan, but it was thwarted when Gupta, who was later extradited to the U.S. from Prague, attempted to hire a hitman who turned out to be an undercover DEA agent. The case has added tension to U.S.-India relations, especially amid Canada's expulsion of Indian diplomats over alleged similar plots and India's reciprocal actions. The U.S. continues to work with Indian authorities on the investigation, emphasizing that such acts against U.S. citizens exercising their rights are unacceptable.