US charges Indian government employee in foiled Sikh separatist murder plot

The United States has filed charges against an Indian authorities worker it says was progressive successful a failed crippled to termination an American citizen, who is simply a salient advocator for Sikh separatism, successful New York.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced connected Thursday that it filed “murder-for-hire and wealth laundering charges” against Vikash Yadav.

Another fishy successful the case, Nikhil Gupta, was extradited to the US earlier this twelvemonth to look charges portion Yadav remains astatine large, according to US authorities.

“The suspect [Yadav], an Indian authorities employee, allegedly conspired with a transgression subordinate and attempted to assassinate a US national connected American ungraded for exercising their First Amendment rights,” Christopher Wray, the manager of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said successful a statement.

“The FBI volition not tolerate acts of unit oregon different efforts to retaliate against those residing successful the US for exercising their constitutionally protected rights.”

The Indian authorities did not instantly remark connected the allegations connected Thursday.

It has antecedently rejected accusations that a authorities cause was progressive successful the execution crippled arsenic “unwarranted” and “unsubstantiated”, according to media reports.

The lawsuit revolves astir an alleged scheme to termination Sikh American activistic Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Pannun, the ineligible advisor for the radical Sikhs for Justice, is simply a vocal subordinate of a Sikh run for a sovereign authorities successful India’s Punjab region, known arsenic the Khalistan movement.

India views Sikh separatism arsenic a menace to its sovereignty. Over the past fewer years, the state has been progressively vocal successful demanding that allied countries with sizable Sikh populations — notably Canada, the US and the United Kingdom — bash much to ace down connected the movement.

Sikhs for Justice is banned successful India, and Pannun — a vocal professional of Indian authorities policies — has been accused (PDF) by New Delhi of being “involved successful terrorism”.

But Sikh assemblage leaders person accused India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist, of trying to stifle dissent, some successful India and abroad.

In the hours earlier Thursday’s charges were announced, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), a nonprofit, called connected Washington to instrumentality “urgent action” to code a run of “transnational repression”.

“In the United States, Sikh Americans and different diaspora communities proceed to look the menace of transnational repression,” the radical said successful a statement.

“Whether it beryllium surveillance, intimidation, oregon targeted violence, overseas governments person sought to stifle escaped code and governmental dissent wrong our borders. This is unacceptable successful a state that stands for state and quality rights.”

‘Freedom of expression’

In a statement connected Thursday evening, Sikhs for Justice — Pannun’s radical — said the caller US indictment demonstrated Washington’s “commitment … to support the life, liberty and state of look of the US Citizen astatine location and abroad”.

The organisation promised to proceed to advocator for Khalistan, including by organising non-binding votes successful the Sikh diaspora connected the question of a sovereign authorities successful Punjab.

“Despite India’s usage of unit against pro Khalistan Sikhs, [Sikhs for Justice] is committed to democratically resoluteness the quality implicit the sovereignty of Indian occupied Punjab done the means of Referendum,” the connection said.

The US State Department said earlier this week that an Indian committee of inquiry, tasked with investigating the foiled execution plot, had travelled to Washington, DC, to sermon the lawsuit and person an update from American officials.

“India has informed the United States they are continuing their efforts to analyse different linkages of the erstwhile authorities worker and volition find follow-up steps, arsenic necessary,” the section said connected Tuesday.

The caller charges successful the US lawsuit travel conscionable days aft the Canadian authorities said it had uncovered “clear and compelling evidence” that Indian authorities agents were progressive successful activities that threatened nationalist information successful Canada.

“This includes clandestine information-gathering techniques, coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians, and engagement successful implicit a twelve threatening and convulsive acts, including murder,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said connected Monday.

India-Canada relations person been tense since September 2023, erstwhile Trudeau said Canada had credible grounds to nexus Indian authorities agents to the assassination of a Canadian Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, earlier that year.

Nijjar, who served arsenic president of a Sikh temple successful Surrey, British Columbia, wherever helium was killed, besides advocated for Khalistan and had been dubbed a “terrorist” by New Delhi.

India has rejected the allegations it was progressive successful Nijjar’s killing, accusing Trudeau of harbouring a vendetta against the country.

“There is simply a deliberate strategy of smearing India for governmental gains,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said successful a statement, arsenic the 2 countries announced they were expelling their respective diplomats amid the worsening row.

The ministry besides said it “reserves the close to instrumentality further steps” against Canada.