Notably, in November last year, a Financial Times report had said the US had foiled an assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun– a New York-based lawyer who is also a notorious Khalistani separatist leader.
A former officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)– the country’s premier spy agency– allegedly hired a “hit team” to assassinate New York-based Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, according to report by US-based Washington Post.
As per the report, the ex-RAW officer, identified as Vikram Yadav, allegedly weaved the plot to kill Pannun on US soil, and forwarded the Khalistani leader’s details, including his New York address to the would-be attackers.
Notably, in November last year, a Financial Times report had said the US had foiled an assassination plot against Pannun– a New York-based lawyer who is also a notorious Khalistani leader.
Later, in the same month, US authorities charged an Indian citizen, Nikhil Gupta, for his alleged role in purported plot to assassinate the Khalistani terrorist.
Gupta, a Delhi-based businessman was charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire by the authorities. The 52-year-old Indian businessman was arrested and detained by Czech authorities on June 30 last year at the behest of the United States in connection with his participation in the alleged plot to murder the Pannun.
An indicted was filed in a Manhattan court, claiming that Gupta was recruited in May 2023 by a person referred to as ‘CC-1’ in the alleged plot to murder Pannun. As per Washington Post report, that ‘CC-1’ person referred to in the indictment, was ex-RAW officer Vikram Yadav.
The report stated that India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined to comment on the allegations.
According to the Financial Times report, US had issued a “warning” to the Indian government over concerns that New Delhi was “involved in the plot” to assassinate the Sikh separatist.
The US federal prosecutors have charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.
India has refuted the allegations levelled by the US, asserting that assassinating dissenters and/or terrorists on foreign soil goes against New Delhi’s policy, and adding that a probe committee has been formed to investigate the accusations.
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