Foiled Assassination Plot: Indian Official Indicted in US

A former Indian official, Vikas Yadav, has been charged by US authorities for his involvement in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US. The indictment highlights Yadav's role in orchestrating the scheme. India's government denies involvement, but has cooperated with US investigations.

A former Indian government official, Vikas Yadav, has been charged by US authorities for his alleged role in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The indictment, filed in New York, accuses Yadav of directing a murder-for-hire scheme and money laundering activities.

Yadav was employed by India's Cabinet Secretariat, which includes the Research and Analysis Wing, India's foreign intelligence agency. While Yadav remains at large, his co-conspirator Nikhil Gupta was arrested last year in the Czech Republic and extradited to the US. Both are accused of planning to kill Pannun, a US citizen exercising his First Amendment rights.

The US has noted India's cooperation in the ongoing investigation, which has seen an inquiry committee from New Delhi visit the US for further discussions. The indictment coincides with a historical state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding complexity to diplomatic relations between the two nations.

(With inputs from agencies.)