Pannun plot: Government panel for ‘action’ against ‘individual’ | India News

NEW DELHI: A high-powered panel set up by the Centre in 2023 to examine US authorities’ claim regarding the role of former govt of India official Vikash Yadav in the foiled plot to assassinate US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has recommended “legal action against an individual, whose earlier criminal links and antecedents came to notice during the inquiry”.
Though the committee, in its report submitted after probing leads provided by the US and its own investigations, has refrained from identifying the “individual” against whom legal action is sought to be completed “expeditiously”, the reference is seen to be of Yadav.
An indictment by a US court earlier described Yadav as an official of RAW, India’s external intelligence agency, and charged him with conspiring with co-accused Nikhil Gupta, who was later arrested in Prague and extradited to the US, to commit “murder-for-hire” and launder money.
The panel, after a probe that saw Indian and US sides exchange visits, examine officials from agencies and scrutinise documents, has suggested functional improvements in systems and procedures and new steps to boost India’s response capacity, ensure control and coordinated action in dealing with similar matters.
Delhi’s stand on Pannun contrasts with its response to Canada’s Nijjar move
To that extent, the committee — formed after the US flagged activities of some organised criminal groups, terrorist organisations and drug peddlers etc “who undermine the security interest of both India and the US” — adopted a reconciliatory tone on what initially appeared to be an irritant to bilateral ties, with US officials protesting against “acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the US for exercising their constitutionally protected rights”.

It will be interesting to see if the promised action, though a result of coordination between Indian and US authorities, satisfies the Americans who had insisted on accountability being fixed for the botched up plot to assassinate Pannun. Indian authorities here would also be waiting to see if the pressure is going to ease under the Trump administration set to be inaugurated on Jan 20.
New Delhi’s stance contrasts strikingly from its response to Canada’s unsubstantiated accusation about the involvement of its agencies in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardip Singh Nijjar in Canada. The two cases, however, stand on different footing.
Unlike the US which backed its case against Yadav with evidence, the Trudeau administration failed to back up its sensational allegation against India.
Yadav was arrested by Delhi Police in Dec 2023, though in a totally different case of extortion and kidnapping. He was subsequently granted interim bail in March 2024, followed by regular bail a month later. The case is currently in trial.
The ministry of external affairs has already said that Yadav, who had served in CRPF in the past, is no longer in govt service. Yadav was charged by the US authorities in 2023 with conspiracy to kill Pannun, an American citizen and activist-leader of banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), along with drug dealer and criminal associate Nikhil Gupta. Gupta, who is currently in US custody, was charged with negotiating the ‘hit job’ payment on Yadav’s behest with a criminal associate, who in reality was a confidential source working for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A part-payment of $15,000 was made to the undercover DEA agent posing as a ‘hitman’. Yadav was further charged with providing the ‘hitman’ details of Pannun address, phone number and day-to-day activities.