On Tuesday, the Indian government dismissed a report by The Washington Post, which claimed that Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer Vikram Yadav was behind the foiled assassination plot against Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has since called the report “unwarranted and unsubstantiated.”
WaPo Report
The report has finally revealed the details of the officer behind the plan to kill Pannun, which was thwarted by US authorities. It mentioned that while Indian PM Narendra Modi was in the US for a State Visit, Yadav, an official in India’s foreign intelligence wing, “was relaying final instructions to a hired hit team to kill one of Modi’s most vocal critics in the US.”
Pannun murder plot: India slams Washington Post's report linking RAW officer to Pannun plot
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“US intelligence agencies have assessed that the operation targeting Pannun was approved by the RAW chief at the time, Samant Goel,” the report said. It further mentioned that India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval “was probably aware of RAW’s plans to kill Sikh activists,” but officials said that no proof of this has emerged.
The US Justice Department had referred to Yadav as CC-1 in its indictment, saying that he hired Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, to execute the assassination of the pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leader for $100,000.
The report also linked Yadav to the 18 June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, for which PM Justin Trudeau has held India responsible. India has denied both of these accusations.
India Rejects Report
Countering the claims, the MEA said that the report in question makes unwarranted imputations on a serious matter. It noted that a High-Level Committee set up by the Indian government is investigating the issue and looking into security concerns shared by the US government regarding networks of organised criminals, terrorists, and others. “Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” it added.
The government had earlier denied allegations of being linked to the case when they were first made last year. It had then set up a high-level inquiry committee in November 2023 to investigate the accusation. As per reports, India removed an intelligence officer from his position and reshuffled several others as a result of the investigation. Additionally, Bloomberg had reported that “rogue operatives not authorised by the government had been involved in the plot.”