RAW official involved in plot to kill Pannun: US

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Indian govt employee conspired to assassinate a US citizen on its soil. Pic/X

An Indian RAW official was involved in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil around the state visit of PM Narendra Modi, federal prosecutors alleged on Thursday in an indictment filed in a US court in New York.

The official identified as Vikas Yadav, 39, was employed by the Cabinet Secretariat, which houses India's foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the federal prosecutors claimed.

Yadav, who is believed to be no longer a government employee, has been charged with three counts, including murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. "He remains at large", the Department of Justice said.

His co-conspirator Nikhil Gupta was arrested in Czechoslovakia last year and is languishing in a US jail after extradition. "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," said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

India denied its association or involvement with such a plot. Following allegations by the US, New Delhi had set up an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.

Sikh body concerned over India, Canada ties

The recent diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, particularly surrounding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, have had profound implications for the Sikh diaspora, the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) said on Friday. This incident has intensified existing insecurities and divisions within the community, affecting how Sikh immigrant families navigate their identities, political beliefs, and social interactions, said Satnam Singh Chahal, NAPA's executive director. This can create rifts in families and social circles, leading to heated discussions and estrangement, he said.

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