Justice Department Indicts Indian Intelligence Officer in Assassination Plot

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed and announced a superseding indictment against Vikash Yadav, an employee of the government of India, in connection with United States v. Gupta, a case from last year involving an Indian national attempting to hire a hitman to kill a prominent Sikh separatist residing in New York City. While the top line of the announcement article doesn't say it, the indictment alleges that Yadav is a senior field officer with responsibilities in security and intelligence, employed by the Cabinet Secretariat, which houses India's foreign intelligence services. The indictment alleges that Yadav hired Nikhil Gupta, an international drug and weapons smuggler, to contract a hitman to assassinate the alleged victim in New York, directing the plot from India. While India extradited Gupta when he was the sole defendant, it seems highly unlikely that they will do similarly for his handler. The Modi government should take a moment to seriously consider two things: First, if this is how they treat the Sikhs, it's no wonder there's a secession movement in the Punjab. Second, whether or not they want to antagonize the United States in this way with China pressing on their Himalayan border. Canada last week expelled multiple diplomats of the Indian embassy delegation alleging they were involved in similar plots against Sikhs on Canadian soil, and allege that the plots were directed from as high up as Prime Minister Modi's cabinet, knowledge that likely could have come only from American intelligence. Attempting to (or actually, in at least one Canadian case) murder its expatriates willy nilly on foreign soil can only serve to isolate India at a time when it looks increasingly likely to need friends.

The Paladin Endorses Kamala Harris

I was notified by the Blogger software that I had a spambot in the comments, so as long as I'm here to police that and we're three weeks from Election Day, I might as well post. This blog endorses Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President, respectively, in 2024. Their opponent, Donald Trump, is an oathbreaker and a felon, making voting against him the only lawful good choice (to indulge in the blog's namesake). I urge all readers to go and vote.