Ex Indian Spy Charged In US Over Alleged Khalistani Murder Plot: Report

The United States has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly orchestrating a failed plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun residing in New York City, news agency Reuters reported. 

Mr Yadav, previously associated with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is accused of coordinating an assassination attempt on Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen. The US Justice Department has charged him with murder-for-hire and money laundering. 

"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," FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

The plot allegedly began in May 2023, with Mr Yadav, then reportedly an employee of the Indian government, allegedly collaborating with individuals in India and overseas to execute the assassination. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the intended target, is a designated terrorist in India and an advocate for Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland to be carved out of India.