India Condemns US Report On Pannun Murder Plot, Calls It 'Unwarranted'

India sharply reacted on Tuesday to a report by The Washington Post regarding an alleged assassination plot of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US.

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, described the report as "unwarranted and unsubstantiated," emphasizing that there is an ongoing investigation by the High-Level Committee set up by the Government of India to address security concerns raised by the US government related to networks of organized criminals, terrorists, and others. Jaiswal stated, "Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful."

The remarks from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came in response to an investigative media report claiming that a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) official identified as Vikram Yadav was involved in the assassination plot of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US, allegedly approved by the then Indian spy agency chief Samant Goel.

US Media Report Names RAW Officer in Alleged Gurpatwant Pannun Assassination Plot

According to a report in the Washington Post, an alleged order to assassinate Khalistani rebel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States was reportedly given by a Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W) official named Vikram Yadav.

Notably, Pannun is a key figure in the Khalistan movement and spokesman for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). This organization is known for advocating for a separate Sikh state and has been designated as a terrorist by the Indian government.

The document states that the operation targeting Pannun was assessed to have been approved by the then RA&W chief, Samant Goel, according to US intelligence agencies. Yadav was reportedly returned to the CRPF after the plan targeting Pannun was foiled last year, as reported by India Today.

Until late Monday night, no response had been provided by the Indian government regarding the claims contained in the study, as reported by First Post. Last year, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, was accused by US officials of his alleged role in the plot. According to the indictment, Gupta was acting on behalf of CC-1, an Indian officer.

Gupta was taken into custody by US and Czech authorities in Prague last year, and he is now being held there. A high-level committee was established by India in November to investigate the US-provided material on the role of the Indian official, claiming it also affected India's security, as per India Today Reports.

According to a Washington Post article citing sources and a US indictment, details about Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, including his residence in New York, were reportedly sent ahead by RA&W official Vikram Yadav, who was serving on assignment from the CRPF. Now, the official is back with the paramilitary unit in the centre.

Yadav was said to have "lacked training and skills" for an operation that required facing up against highly developed US counterintelligence capabilities because of his background. Senior authorities at the US Justice Department and FBI reportedly pushed for Yadav's prosecution, which would have linked RA&W to a conspiracy involving murder for hire.

However, while a US indictment unsealed in November contained the bombshell allegation that the plot was directed by an Indian official, it referred to Yadav as only an unnamed co-conspirator, CC-1, and made no mention of the Indian spy agency. Higher-ranking RA&W officers have also been linked as part of an extensive probe by the CIA, FBI, and other agencies that have traced potential connections to Modi's inner circle, according to current and former Western security sources.