Vikash Yadav, a former officer of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India's foreign intelligence agency, has firmly denied allegations made by U.S. authorities accusing him of being involved in a failed plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistani separatist and leader of the outlawed group Sikhs for Justice. Through his legal representatives, RK Handoo and Aditya Choudhary, Yadav has asserted that he is being unjustly scapegoated in what he described as a politically motivated move aimed at tarnishing India's reputation on the global stage. His lawyers emphasized that there is no truth to the accusations and that Yadav has never been involved in any such conspiracy.
Yadav first learned of the allegations when media reports surfaced, linking him to the plot. According to the U.S. indictment, Yadav, identified as “CC-1,” allegedly worked alongside co-conspirators in India and abroad to orchestrate the assassination of Pannun. The charges detailed how Yadav and Nikhil Gupta, a fellow accused individual, reportedly hired a contract killer for a payment of $100,000 to eliminate Pannun. However, the plan failed when the hired assassin turned out to be an undercover FBI informant, leading to the exposure of the scheme. Gupta was previously charged, arrested, and extradited to the U.S. for his involvement, while Yadav remains in India.
Yadav’s defense team has been resolute in countering these claims, stating that he has never even traveled outside of India, let alone orchestrated an international assassination plot. His lawyers have described the U.S. accusations as part of a broader conspiracy against India, particularly at a time of heightened international tension surrounding separatist movements. They dismissed the possibility that an earlier extortion case against Yadav in India was being used to protect him from U.S. extradition, calling such allegations baseless and an attempt to undermine India's judicial process.
“This is tantamount to casting aspersions on the entire judicial system in India,” Yadav’s lawyers told *India Today TV*. They stressed that due process is being followed in India and that the courts are handling Yadav’s legal matters fairly. The legal team further underscored that the extortion case in question was unrelated to the allegations of the assassination plot and that the judicial system in India was fully capable of determining Yadav's guilt or innocence independently, without interference from foreign governments.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India has also distanced itself from the case, stating that the individual mentioned in the U.S. indictment was no longer employed by the Indian government. This statement highlights India's disassociation from Yadav’s alleged activities, signaling that Yadav’s actions, if proven true, would not reflect the current stance or involvement of the Indian state. The allegations come at a time of increasing tensions between pro-Khalistani groups and the Indian government, with the case gaining significant international attention.
Yadav’s denial and the response from his legal team underline the broader concerns over geopolitical implications, as the case touches on sensitive issues related to terrorism, international espionage, and the strained relations between India and certain factions abroad. The controversy continues to evolve, with both sides maintaining starkly different narratives around the failed plot.
