FBI declines extradition question on RAW official Vikash Yadav in Pannun murder plot

The Federal Board of Investigation (FBI) declined to address a question regarding the extradition of Vikash Yadav, identified as an Research and Analysis Wing – linked (RAW) official of the Modi government, from India to the United States in connection with then Gurpatwant Singh Pannu murder-for-hire plot.

Heith Janke, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Division, sidestepped the question on the extradition of India’s RAW agent, stating that the press conference was limited to the release of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, which includes Bhadreshkumar C. Patel, a citizen of India.

Vikash Yadav has been on the FBI’s wanted list since 2024 in connection with allegations tied to a murder-for-hire conspiracy and transnational repression operation on US soil, raising serious concerns about the role of individuals linked to the Modi Government’s intelligence apparatus.

The case centers on an alleged plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based lawyer and pro-Khalistan activist, who has been a vocal critic of the Modi Government and an advocate for a Punjab independence referendum.

A major legal development came in February 2026, when co-accused Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in US federal court for his role in the plot and is facing up to 40 years in prison, further intensifying scrutiny on those linked to the Modi Government in the same case.

The extradition issue of the R&AW official also aligns with the USCIRF 2026 Report, which recommended that the United States ban India’s intelligence agency RAW for its alleged involvement in assassination plots and transnational repression activities under the Modi Government, targeting Khalistan referendum activists in the United States and Canada.