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Former Indian Intelligence Officer Charged in Alleged Murder Plot
The United States has formally charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, in connection with a thwarted attempt to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York City last year. This development follows the FBI’s strong stance against any violence targeted at individuals residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutional rights.
Details of the indictment against Yadav were made public on Thursday, with the U.S. Justice Department identifying him as an ex-officer in India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s premier intelligence agency. The indictment was submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The allegations claim that Indian operatives were involved in orchestrating a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent Sikh separatist leader and dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. The FBI Director, Christopher Wray, emphasized that such acts of violence would not be tolerated, asserting the federal agency’s commitment to defending those in the U.S.
In response to the claims, an Indian governmental committee investigating the alleged involvement in the foiled assassination recently engaged in discussions with U.S. authorities in Washington. This meeting has been described by the U.S. as productive, reflecting a degree of cooperation amid escalating tensions.
The U.S. has urged India to take the allegations seriously and to investigate the claims that an intelligence official played a role in directing the assassination plan against Pannun. This incident is part of a broader narrative regarding India’s purported targeting of Sikh separatists abroad.
In a related context, Canada has expelled Indian diplomats, citing links to the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on its territory. In retaliation, India ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats, vehemently denying the allegations leveled against it.
This ongoing situation has strained diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Canada with India, a nation typically perceived by Western allies as a strategic counterweight to China’s influence in the region.
India has long classified Sikh separatists as “terrorists,” viewing them as significant threats to national security. The pursuit of an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, has been a contentious issue for decades, with a violent insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s resulting in the deaths of thousands across India.
Source
www.cbc.ca