To hold India’s feet to fire: Ex-envoy on US action in Pannun murder plot case

Former Indian ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, on Friday reacted to Washington charging a former RAW official for allegedly orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and said that the move may be intended to arm-twist and pressure India.
“The US is signalling to us that this kind of overreach in covert operations on their soil or on the soil of their allies will not be tolerated. The public trial sought by the US Department of Justice is intended to hold India’s feet to the fire over the issue,” Shankar said while speaking to India Today TV.
A former RAW official, identified by the US as Vikash Yadav, was charged by the American Department of Justice with murder-for-hire and money laundering. US’s FBI has also issued a wanted notice for Yadav.
The plot allegedly originated in May 2023, when Yadav, who the US identifies as an employee of the Indian government at the time, coordinated with associates both in India and overseas to plan the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
“New Delhi has its own concerns because it believes that the western countries have been less than responsive over extremist activities targeting India from their soil. We would like to make them more conscious of the fact that these activities undermine a fellow democracy,” Shankar said.
“The two countries (India and the US) have been discussing this issue in confidence. However, once the Indian government had indicated that the gentleman concerned who’s been indicted is no longer in government service, the US shouldn’t publicise his details in public,” she added.
Furthermore, Shankar pointed out the complexity of the situation, stating, “All we have are the allegations and the charges made by the United States”. She stressed the necessity for India to work through legal channels in the US, presenting specific evidence to substantiate its claims against Khalistani terrorists operating from American soil. “Western agencies often respond to broad accusations by asking for specific evidence that can stand in a US court,” she explained.
“Given that Khalistan is a completely dead issue in India, I believe it was unwise to pursue this path,” she added, suggesting that the action might have stemmed from someone inexperienced in international affairs.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that the individual named in the US Justice Department’s indictment is no longer affiliated with the Indian government.
“The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated.
Even in September, a US court served a summons to the Indian government in connection with a civil lawsuit filed by Pannun, who alleged that there is a conspiracy to murder him. In response, the Indian government described the summons as “completely unwarranted”.