The US and Indian security officials have identified a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent, Vikram Yadav, who is alleged to have plotted the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. The Washington Post, citing officials and a US indictment, reported that Yadav had forwarded details about Pannun, including his New York address.
The report stated that the operation targeting Pannun was greenlit as soon as the would-be assassins could confirm Pannun’s presence at home. The operation was reportedly approved by the then RAW chief, Samant Goel. This finding aligns with accounts provided by former senior Indian security officials who claimed that Goel was under immense pressure to neutralise the alleged threat of Sikh extremists overseas.
The list of Indian officials allegedly involved in the plot extends further. US spy agencies have tentatively assessed that India’s National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, was probably aware of RAW’s plans to eliminate Sikh activists. However, officials emphasised that no definitive proof has emerged. Neither Doval nor Goel responded to calls and text messages seeking comment.
The report, based on interviews with over three dozen current and former senior officials from various countries, provides the most explicit evidence to date that the assassination plan was directed from within the Indian spy service. It also implicates higher-ranking RAW officials.
The United States reportedly thwarted an attempt to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US soil. In response to these claims, India stated that it had taken the inputs very seriously and had already initiated an investigation into the matter.
The alleged plot to assassinate Pannun in the US coincided with the June 18 shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada. Western officials have linked this operation to Yadav as well.
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