The United States government recently unsealed an indictment against Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer, accusing him of orchestrating a failed plot to murder Indian-American Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil in 2023. This revelation has strained relationships between the US, India, and Canada, as all countries have differing perspectives on the matter.
According to the indictment, Yadav, who worked for India’s external intelligence agency, directed an individual named Nikhil Gupta to carry out the killing of Pannun. The US alleges that Yadav provided Gupta with details about Pannun’s whereabouts and instructed Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the murder. However, Gupta unknowingly hired an undercover DEA officer, leading to the foiling of the plot.
India has distanced itself from the allegations, claiming that Yadav is no longer an employee of the government. However, India is conducting its own investigation into the matter and has reiterated that it does not engage in extraterritorial killings.
Pannun, the target of the assassination attempt, has responded by filing a lawsuit against the Indian government officials involved. He has accused them of attempting to stifle the Khalistan separatist movement, which seeks to establish a separate Sikh state in northern India.
The significance of this event is amplified by the ongoing tensions between India and Canada over the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Indian government agents of plotting Nijjar’s assassination, leading to diplomatic expulsions from both countries.
As the case continues to unfold, it highlights the complexities of international relations and the challenges of managing disputes between countries, particularly when involving sensitive political issues and allegations of state-sponsored violence.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com