The alleged assassination plot of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has resurfaced in the news with reports naming an official from India’s Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) as being involved in the attempt to kill Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States. Furthermore, the report reveals that the operation had been sanctioned by R&AW’s then-chief, Samant Goel.
The R&AW Operative: Vikram Yadav
According to a report by the Washington Post, the plan to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was orchestrated by a R&AW agent identified as Vikram Yadav. Last year, US authorities, in an indictment, stated that Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, had acted on behalf of an Indian official, referred to as CC-1.
Nikhil Gupta is currently incarcerated in a prison in Prague after his arrest there, with US officials seeking his extradition. The indictment last year revealed that an Indian government employee, in collaboration with others, including Gupta, directed a plot to assassinate a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City.
Washington Post reported that Vikram Yadav, a R&AW operative, had provided details about the target, including his New York address. Yadav, who was brought into R&AW midcareer from India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), may have lacked the training and skills necessary to carry out such an operation, which could have been the reason for the operation’s failure against US counterintelligence capabilities.
After the failed operation, an Indian official, cited by the Washington Post, reported that Yadav was reassigned back to the CRPF.
The Plot Unraveled
Yadav and Gupta exchanged several encrypted messages, devising a plan to assassinate Pannun. At one point during their planning, Gupta contacted someone he believed to be a drug and weapons dealer. However, unbeknownst to Gupta, the individual was an informant for the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
As the plan progressed, Yadav hinted that there would be more jobs after Pannun, including one targeting a “big target” in Canada.
Approval from Higher-Ups
While Yadav was the key figure in the plot to assassinate Pannun, the operation reportedly had the approval of then-R&AW chief Samant Goel. The Washington Post report tentatively suggests that India’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, might have been aware of R&AW’s plans to target Sikh activists.
The pressure from the Indian government to eliminate alleged threats posed by Sikh extremists overseas reportedly led to Goel’s approval of the operation. Indian R&AW agents have increased surveillance of Sikhs perceived to be a threat to India’s national security in recent times, leading to arrests, expulsions, or reprimands in countries including Australia, Germany, and Britain.
Reactions and Investigations
Neither Goel nor Doval have responded to the claims made by the Washington Post. Following the publication of the report, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter.”
The White House confirmed that India is taking the allegations seriously, and an investigation is underway by the Department of Justice (DOJ) into the alleged assassination plot.
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Allegations against R&AW
This is not the first time R&AW has been implicated in extrajudicial actions abroad. A report by The Guardian earlier this month disclosed how the Indian government had assassinated individuals in Pakistan post-2019 as part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists living in foreign countries.
The Washington Post report further suggests that the operation to assassinate Pannun is “part of an escalating campaign of aggression by R&AW against the Indian diaspora in Asia, Europe, and North America.”
Expect accountability from India on Pannun case: US
Indian govt is yet to confirm the identity of this official. While Gupta is currently awaiting extradition in Prague, the report said Yadav had been transferred to CISF after the Pannun plot unravelled.
Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry under anti-terror law — UAPA.
Following the report, the White House said India is taking the allegations regarding the assassination plot of the Sikh separatist seriously and that the US expects accountability.
