A RAW official identified as Vikram Yadav was involved in the assassination plot of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US and the move was approved by the then Indian spy agency chief Samant Goel, according to an investigative media report published on Monday.
RAW Official Was Involved In Assassination Plot Of Pannun US Media
Pannun is one of the main leaders of the Khalistan movement and the legal advisor and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which aims to promote the idea of a separate Sikh state.
The Indian government has declared Pannun a terrorist.
In an investigative report, The Washington Post newspaper said, “That India would pursue lethal operations in North America has stunned Western security officials.”
“Yadav’s identity and affiliation, which have not previously been reported, provide the most explicit evidence to date that the assassination plan – ultimately thwarted by US authorities – was directed from within the Indian spy service,” the daily reported. “Higher-ranking (Research and Analysis Wing) RAW officials have also been implicated, according to current and former Western security officials, as part of a sprawling investigation by the CIA, FBI and other agencies that has mapped potential links to (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) Modi’s inner circle,” it said.
“US spy agencies have more tentatively assessed that Modi’s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, was probably aware of RAW’s plans to kill Sikh activists, but officials emphasised that no smoking gun proof has emerged,” it said. India on Tuesday strongly rejected a report in the Washington Post alleging that a former Indian intelligence officer plotted to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
Jaiswal stated that there is an ongoing investigation by a high-level committee established by the Indian government to address security concerns raised by the US regarding criminal and terrorist networks.
“Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” he added.
This comes after tensions flared in November 2022 when the Financial Times reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun and issued a warning to India over its alleged involvement.
A subsequent indictment filed in a Manhattan court named Indian national Nikhil Gupta as a conspirator who allegedly collaborated with an unnamed Indian official, referred to as “CC-1,” in the plot.
The Washington Post identified “CC-1” as Vikram Yadav. India has consistently denied these accusations, calling them “contrary to government policy.” A high-level inquiry committee was formed in November 2023 to investigate the allegations.
