FBI Vikash Yadav Indicted for Assassination Plot in the U.S.

FBI Vikash Yadav Under Indictment

NEW DELHI — FBI Vikash Yadav, a former employee of the Indian government, stands indicted in the U.S. for orchestrating an assassination attempt against a Sikh activist in New York City. Charged with three counts of murder-for-hire and money laundering, Yadav, 39, reportedly acted as a "senior field officer" for New Delhi, orchestrating this plot from India.

Details of the Assassination Plot

According to federal prosecutors, Yadav hired Nikhil Gupta, another Indian national currently facing charges related to the same plot. The intended target was an attorney and political activist, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly criticized the Indian government.

• Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic and extradited to the U.S.
• Yadav allegedly hired a hitman through Gupta, unaware he was contacting an undercover DEA officer.
• A payment of $100,000 was arranged, with an advance of $15,000 sent.

Context and Repercussions

The indictment has surfaced alongside heightened diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the recent murder allegation against Indian diplomats. The U.S. has urged cooperation between both nations in the investigations surrounding these serious claims.

Yadav's actions represent a broader concern over transnational repression affecting diaspora communities in America, as highlighted by officials in the U.S. government.