RAW official accused of plotting to kill Sikh separatist in US; case linked to Nijjar murder in Canada

Washington: A senior official from India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has been accused of involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate a Sikh American separatist last summer, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, according to federal prosecutors. The damaging indictment was filed Thursday in a New York court.

The official, identified as 39-year-old Vikas Yadav, was reportedly employed by the Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees RAW. Prosecutors allege Yadav, who is no longer believed to be a government employee, faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He remains a fugitive, the US Department of Justice announced. Yadav’s alleged co-conspirator, Nikhil Gupta, was arrested in Czech Republic last year and has since been extradited to the US, where he remains in custody.

The Indian government has denied involvement in the alleged plot, and following the accusations, launched an internal investigation. The US has expressed satisfaction with India’s cooperation thus far, PTI reported. The indictment also reveals communication linking this case to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada around the same time.

US Attorney General Merrick B Garland emphasised that the charges reflect the Department’s determination to protect Americans from being targeted and their rights being violated. “The defendant, a former Indian government official, is accused of conspiring with a criminal associate to murder a US citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights,” added FBI Director Christopher Wray.

This indictment was revealed just 48 hours after an Indian Inquiry Committee held talks with officials from the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the State Department. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller noted that the two governments have exchanged updates on their respective investigations and described the ongoing cooperation as productive.

The indictment includes photographs, such as an image of Yadav in military attire and another showing individuals exchanging money in a car in New York on June 9, 2023. Prosecutors allege this payment was made to a hired killer to carry out the assassination. The intended target, a US citizen and vocal critic of the Indian government, leads a US-based group advocating for the secession of Punjab to form a sovereign Sikh state, Khalistan. The victim’s name was not disclosed in the indictment.

The US government has stated that the indictment reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights and freedoms of its citizens, both domestically and abroad, according to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel for Sikhs for Justice, a separatist group.

The indictment claims that Yadav and Gupta planned to execute the assassination in the summer of 2023, hiring an individual to carry out the killing. The FBI informant, posing as the assassin, had requested $100,000 for the job and received a $15,000 advance payment on June 9, 2023.

The timing of the plot coincided with Prime Minister Modi’s state visit to the US on June 22. Prosecutors allege that Yadav instructed Gupta and the would-be assassin to delay the murder until after the visit

In one message, Yadav instructed Gupta to verify the target’s whereabouts before giving the green light to proceed with the killing. According to the Department of Justice, US law enforcement uncovered and foiled the plot before it could be carried out.