Rejecting a Washington Post report, India has vehemently denied allegations of a former intelligence officer plotting an assassination against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States. The report had claimed that Vikram Yadav, a former RAW officer, hired a hit team to execute Pannun, a designated terrorist in India who resides in the US.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, refuted the report, calling it unwarranted and unsubstantiated. He also highlighted an ongoing investigation by a high-level committee, established to address security concerns raised by the US regarding criminal and terrorist networks.
Speculative and irresponsible comments on this matter are considered unhelpful, Jaiswal added.
These allegations have heightened tensions since the Financial Times reported in November 2022 that the US had foiled a plot to assassinate Pannun and warned India of its suspected involvement. A subsequent indictment in a Manhattan court named Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta as a conspirator, who allegedly collaborated with an unidentified Indian official, designated as CC-1, in the plot.
The Washington Post has claimed that CC-1 is Vikram Yadav. India has consistently denied these accusations, deeming them contrary to government policy. A high-level inquiry committee was formed in November 2023 to investigate these allegations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has stated that this investigation involves India's national security interests, emphasizing its relevance to the alleged involvement of a government official in the assassination plot.
The Washington Post also reported that the Biden administration has refrained from making charges against Vikram Yadav.
