US opens RAW wounds with murder-for-hire charges against Indian operative

WASHINGTON: The United States on Thursday announced the filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against former RAW operative Vikash Yadav in connection with the alleged plot of assassinate Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Pannun in New York, asserting that it will be "relentless in holding accountable any person — regardless of their position or proximity to power — who seeks to harm and silence American citizens."

An 18-page indictment filed by the US Justice Department in the Southern District court of New York, described Yadav, 39, as an Indian government employee, although an Indian probe team that met a counterpart US panel on Wednesday conveyed that he is no longer in government service. The indictment included a photo of Yadav in combat fatigues from his days in the CRPF, from where he was on deputation to the Cabinet Secretariat which houses RAW, the indictment said.

"YADAV has described his position as a 'Senior Field Officer' with responsibilities in 'Security Management' and 'Intelligence,'" it said, revealing that he directed the assassination plot from India, using the alias "Amanat." Yadav also has referenced previously serving in CRPF and receiving “officer training” in “battle craft” and “weapons,” it added.

A statement accompanying the indictment talked up the free speech rights of Pannun, whom New Delhi has designated as a terrorist, asserting that the charges demonstrate that the US will not tolerate attempts to target and endanger Americans and to undermine the rights to which every American citizen is entitled.

“The defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate and attempted to assassinate a US citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the statement. “The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutionally protected rights.

The statement also suggested Washington is making an example of the incident to broadcast a larger message to other nations, notably China and Russia, which have also been accused of conduction transnational operations against dissenters they regard as anti-national.

“Today’s charges are a grave example of the increase in lethal plotting and other forms of violent transnational repression targeting diaspora communities in the United States,” the statement said, adding. “To the governments around the world who may be considering such criminal activity and to the communities they would target, let there be no doubt that the DoJ is committed to disrupting and exposing these plots and to holding the wrongful actors accountable no matter who they are or where they reside.” It made no mention of any extradition request for Yadav.

According to the indictment, in or about May 2023, Yadav recruited Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national allegedly involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking, to orchestrate Pannun's assassination. At Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source (the CS) working with the US Drug Enforcement Agency, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City.

The CS then introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer, it said. Yadav subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim, of which $15,000 in cash was delivered to the undercover agent as an advance. The indictment contained a close-up photo of the money changing hands.

The indictment said Nikhil Gupta also specifically instructed the undercover agent not to commit the murder around the time of Prime Minister Modi's official state visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin on June 20, 2023. Yadav's recruitment of Gupta to orchestrate the hit job, was in exchange for assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against Gupta in India, it said.