Meet ex-RAW officer Vikash Yadav: Wanted by FBI in Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder attempt

The US Justice Department has indicted former RAW official Vikash Yadav in connection with a murder plot targeting pro-Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The FBI has issued a 'wanted' poster and confirmed that Yadav remains at large.

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Shantanu Poswal
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Vikash Yadav (x)

Vikash Yadav, a former officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been charged by the US Department of Justice for his alleged involvement in a failed assassination plot targeting pro-Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The US Justice Department released a detailed statement regarding the case, raising significant attention on Yadav's international criminal charges.

Who is Vikash Yadav?

Vikash Yadav, a native of Pranpura, Haryana, previously worked for India's Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees RAW, India’s foreign intelligence agency. Born on December 11, 1984, Yadav is currently wanted by US authorities. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a wanted poster describing his height between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 1 inch. His involvement in an international murder-for-hire scheme has placed him at the center of an ongoing US investigation.

Charges filed against Yadav

The FBI has charged Vikash Yadav with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire, and money laundering conspiracy. According to the FBI, Yadav played a key role in recruiting his "co-conspirator," Nikhil Gupta, who is now in US custody and has pleaded not guilty to related charges. Yadav's alleged crimes came to light in two separate indictments filed by the US Justice Department. While Yadav was originally identified only as "CC-1" in a 2023 indictment, his name was revealed in a second indictment, unsealed on October 17, 2024, by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Ongoing investigation

A federal arrest warrant was issued for Yadav on October 10, 2024. His recruitment of Nikhil Gupta, now jailed, underscores Yadav’s deep involvement in the plot to assassinate Pannun. As the investigation continues, international authorities are working to locate and apprehend Yadav for his alleged role in the foiled murder attempt.