The Justice Department has announced that Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer who remains at large, allegedly plotted to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in New York City

The United States has formally charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, who is accused of orchestrating a foiled plot to murder a Sikh separatist leader in New York City last year. Court documents reveal that an indictment against Yadav was ordered to be unsealed on Thursday. Yadav previously served as an officer in India's Research and Analysis Wing, the country's primary intelligence agency, and is currently at large.

The murder-for-hire plot was first revealed by federal prosecutors last year when they filed charges against Nikhil Gupta, who had been recruited by an unidentified employee of the Indian government to carry out the assassination of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen and prominent Sikh separatist leader.

FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized the agency's stance against such violent actions, stating, "The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the US for exercising their constitutionally protected rights."

In a related development, an Indian government committee tasked with investigating the country’s involvement in the foiled assassination plot met with US officials in Washington on Tuesday. The meeting was described by US representatives as productive.

The United States has been urging India to investigate claims made by the US Justice Department regarding the involvement of an Indian intelligence official in the planned assassination of Pannun. Following the unsealing of the indictment, tensions escalated when Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, linking them to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in 2023. In response, India expelled Canadian diplomats and rejected the allegations made by Canada.

On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of violating Canadian sovereignty. He stated that Indian officials were connected to a campaign of violence against Sikh activists, which included drive-by shootings, home invasions, violent extortion, and even murder occurring within Canada.

These allegations have strained the relationships between Washington, Ottawa, and New Delhi, especially as India is often seen by Western countries as a counterbalance to China's influence in the region. India has designated Sikh separatists as "terrorists," claiming they pose a threat to national security. The separatists are advocating for an independent homeland called Khalistan to be established from Indian territory, a movement that contributed to significant violence during the insurgency in India in the 1980s and 1990s, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.