The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday issued a wanted poster for Vikash Yadav, a former Indian government employee, in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had previously confirmed that Yadav, named in the US Justice Department‘s indictment, is no longer employed by the Indian government.
Who is Vikash Yadav?
According to a wanted poster by FBI, Yadav, second Indian to be named in the conspiracy, was born in Haryana in 1984 and was known by the names Vikas and Amanat to communicate with co-conspirator Nikhil Gupta, who had earlier pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges.
The US justice department said that Vikash was employed by the Cabinet Secretariat, which houses the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of India’s foreign intelligence service. “Yadav has described his position as a ‘senior field officer’ with responsibilities in ‘security management’ and ‘intelligence.’ Yadav also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving ‘officer training’ in ‘battle craft’ and ‘weapons.’
What is Vikash Yadav accused of?The US department said that Yadav recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of Pannun. “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 DEA, for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). Yadav subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. Yadav’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan,” the press release said.
Yadav then allegedly provided Gupta with personal information about Pannun, which Gupta then passed to the DEA undercover. “Yadav directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to Yadav, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States,” it said.
“The day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar ‘was also the target’ and ‘we have so many targets.’ Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was ‘now no need to wait’. Yadav then sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now,” said US.
What are the charges against Vikash Yadav?Yadav and Gupta of India have been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence, considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The US justice department clarified, “An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Gupta, extradited from the Czech Republic, has pleaded ‘not guilty.’ India has set up a high-level inquiry committee to address the security concerns raised by the US government. MEA insists that India takes such inputs seriously as they affect national security interests.
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