NEW YORK: A newly unsealed court filing in the United States has revealed explosive allegations that Indian intelligence officials may have been involved in a broader international murder-for-hire plot, extending beyond the United States to potential targets in Nepal and Pakistan.
According to the documents filed in a New York federal court and reported by Bloomberg, the alleged plot involved Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national currently in US custody, and Vikash Yadav, an officer in India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Gupta was previously charged by the US Department of Justice for conspiring to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based Sikh activist and vocal critic of the Indian government. He was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the United States. Yadav, identified as the handler orchestrating the plot, remains in India.
New details from the case now suggest that the alleged conspiracy may have included plans to assassinate additional targets in Pakistan or Nepal, raising concerns of cross-border operations conducted by or on behalf of Indian intelligence services.
Court filings also link Gupta and Yadav to the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh activist who, like Pannun, had been designated as a terrorist by the Indian government due to his advocacy for Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in a murder that has already strained Indo-Canadian relations.
India has publicly denied any state involvement in Nijjar’s assassination. However, in a notable shift, New Delhi has acknowledged conducting an internal inquiry, which reportedly concluded that the plot may have been the work of rogue operatives. According to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the official implicated in the matter has since been removed from his position.
Despite the mounting allegations, Gupta has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Meanwhile, the US has issued an arrest warrant for Yadav, but India has yet to respond to extradition requests.
The case threatens to further complicate India’s diplomatic relationships, particularly with the United States, Canada, and potentially Pakistan and Nepal, if involvement in cross-border assassination plots is proven. Tensions between Washington and New Delhi have already escalated on other fronts, including recent US tariffs on Indian oil imports linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude.
In Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney faces political pressure as his government seeks to mend ties with India. Canadian authorities have charged four Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar’s murder, and proceedings are underway.
Gupta’s trial is set to begin on November 3 in the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors claim to possess extensive digital evidence, including “hundreds of WhatsApp messages” and emails between Gupta and Yadav, allegedly discussing assassination plans and arms deals.
As the case unfolds, it promises to cast a long shadow over India’s global intelligence operations and its relations with key international allies.
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