US Indicts Ex-RAW Man Over Plot To Kill Pannun: What Are The Charges?

Pannun, US Department of Justice, DOJ, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Vikash Yadav, RAW officer,

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has identified and charged a former Indian government official for allegedly orchestrating a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen designated as a terrorist by India, in New York in June 2023.

The indictment, which spans 18 pages and was made public on Thursday evening (Friday IST), charges Vikash Yadav, a former employee of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), with three counts: murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and money laundering.

A “wanted” poster released

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released a “wanted” poster featuring three photographs of Yadav, detailing the biography of the 39-year-old former officer from Haryana, who was also known as “Amanat” during the operation. A federal arrest warrant for Yadav was issued by a New York court on October 10.

Yadav is referred to as “CC-1” in an earlier DOJ indictment, where he allegedly contracted an intermediary, Nikhil Gupta, to hire an assassin. This assassin turned out to be an asset of U.S. law enforcement. According to the new indictment, Yadav, who was an assistant commandant in the Central Reserve Police Force and worked in the cabinet secretariat housing RAW, orchestrated the plot during May-June 2023, and at that time, he described himself as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities related to security management and intelligence.

Pannun: A “vocal critic of the government of India per US

The indictment characterizes Pannun as a “vocal critic of the government of India” who leads a U.S.-based political organization advocating for the secession of Punjab and acknowledges that India has banned his separatist group. The FBI poster summarizing the case labels Pannun as a political activist exercising his First Amendment rights, while both the indictment and FBI descriptions overlook Pannun’s violent actions and his designation as a wanted terrorist in India.

The latest indictment provides extensive details about how Yadav allegedly orchestrated the assassination plot. It claims that around May 2023, Yadav enlisted Gupta, who acknowledged his involvement in international narcotics and arms trafficking during his communications with Yadav, to facilitate Pannun’s killing in the U.S.

Operation to remove Panun

Under Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted a criminal associate (CS) for assistance in hiring a hitman, who was later revealed to be a “confidential source” for U.S. law enforcement. CS then introduced Gupta to the hitman, identified as a U.S. law enforcement official (UC). The indictment states that Yadav “subsequently agreed” through Gupta’s negotiations to pay UC $100,000 for the assassination. Additionally, they arranged for $15,000 to be paid to UC in Manhattan through an “associate of Yadav.”

In June, Yadav provided Gupta with personal details about Pannun, including his address, phone numbers, and daily schedule, all of which Gupta relayed to UC. Yadav also requested “regular updates” from Gupta, who shared surveillance photos of Pannun taken by UC.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing

Gupta urged UC to carry out the assassination promptly but specified that it should not coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the U.S. in the third week of June. However, on June 18, a gunman killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another separatist designated as a terrorist by India, in Canada. Following this, Yadav sent Gupta a photograph of Nijjar’s body, indicating that Nijjar had also been a “target” and mentioning that they had “many targets,” suggesting that there was no reason to delay further.

The indictment includes direct exchanges between Yadav and Gupta, in which Yadav assured Gupta that his case had been handled in Gujarat, possibly indicating a reciprocal arrangement for Gupta’s involvement. It contains messages where Yadav pressured Gupta to expedite the assassination and detailed communications between Gupta and UC, as well as between Gupta and CS regarding financial negotiations. It also highlights Yadav’s explicit instructions to Gupta, telling him to inform the hired hitman to be prepared to kill Pannun at either his home or office towards the end of June.

Panun assassination plot

The assassination plot ultimately failed when Gupta was arrested in Prague on June 30, 2023, at the request of the U.S. government for his role in the scheme. The DOJ had previously issued its first indictment in this case, charging Gupta. In June of this year, he was extradited to the U.S., where his trial is expected to begin soon.

On Monday, just four days after Yadav’s arrest warrant was issued, it was reported that India informed the U.S. that Yadav was no longer a government employee, a fact confirmed by both the State Department and the Ministry of External Affairs this week. An Indian inquiry committee formed to investigate the allegations visited Washington, D.C., this week and exchanged information with U.S. officials in a meeting described by the State Department as productive.

Panun and the India-U.S. relations

These developments indicate close collaboration between the U.S. and India on this matter and provide context for Yadav’s removal from government service, although the precise timing and reasons for his dismissal remain unclear. It is also uncertain whether he has been arrested, and if so, on what basis. A Bloomberg report from March indicated that CC-1 had been reassigned out of RAW, while an April report from the Washington Post identified CC-1 as Vikram Yadav.

However, with the new indictment directly implicating a former Indian government official, the plot against Pannun represents a significant development that could affect both India’s security apparatus and India-U.S. relations for years ahead.

These events occur against a backdrop of deteriorating India-Canada relations. In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged links between Indian government agents and the assassination of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India countered that Canada had failed to provide any evidence, while Trudeau himself stated that he only possessed intelligence, not concrete proof, to support his claims. Subsequently, Canada requested India to waive immunity for its diplomats in Ottawa, including the high commissioner, to facilitate an investigation, a request India categorically rejected. As a result, India decided to recall its diplomats and expel six Canadian diplomats.

US speaks tough

America’s top law enforcement officials issued a strong collective statement asserting that the U.S. would not tolerate such actions on its soil. The U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized that the DOJ would be relentless in holding accountable anyone—regardless of their position or proximity to power—who seeks to harm or silence American citizens.

FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the defendant, an Indian government employee, allegedly conspired with a criminal associate and attempted to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil for exercising their First Amendment rights, reiterating that the FBI would not accept acts of violence or attempts to retaliate against individuals in the U.S. exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Wray, who visited India following the DOJ’s initial indictment, added that the FBI is dedicated to working with its partners to “detect, disrupt, and hold accountable foreign nationals or others who seek to engage in such acts of transnational repression.”

As of now, India has not responded to the latest indictment.

Read More: What Led To The Charges Against Vikas Yadav In The Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Assassination Plot?