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Ex-RAW Officer Vikash Yadav: Declared Wanted by FBI in Gurpatwant Murder

Vikash Yadav, a former Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer, has been indicted by the authorities of the United States for conspiring to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist, political activist who lives in the US. The charges were filed after an indictment was unsealed on October 17, 2024.

Charges against Vikash Yadav

Vikash Yadav is also charged with the following serious counts:-

Murder-for-Hire: He is alleged to have conspired to kill Pannun as a murder-for-hire.
Conspiracy to Commit Murder-for-Hire: Aiding and abetting co-conspirators in the planning and direction of the murder plot.
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering: Financial matters related to the assassination plot, such as pay for the hit.

According to the U.S. federal prosecutors, Yadav orchestrated this plot from India in league with another person named Nikhil Gupta. From this indictment, it seems that Yadav shared Pannun's residential addresses and contact numbers to facilitate the plot. It is reported that Yadav corresponded with Gupta through the encrypted messaging apps and even discussed other potential targets.

The FBI termed this case as a serious violation of the rights of American citizens, specifically stating that efforts of this nature meant to silence individuals who had been exercising their First Amendment rights would not be tolerated. The U.S. Justice Department recently confirmed Yadav was at large and lawmen were keeping an eye out for the culprit.

Background of Vikash Yadav

Yadav, 39, was a Senior Field Officer in the Cabinet Secretariat of India, which regulates RAW. He was said to be involved in security management and intelligence work. Since the accusations were made public, officials from India said he was no longer an employee and entirely denied involvement in a government-led assassination program.

With much international attention on this incident, officials from both the United States of America and India are discussing increased cooperation in matters of this seriousness.