The past few years have witnessed a worrying pattern of killings targeting individuals deemed “enemies of the state” by India, often labeled as militants or terrorists. In the guise of covert operations, India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), has been quietly orchestrating an extensive campaign of extra-judicial killings. Recent revelations, backed by credible evidence, expose a web of sinister plots that span continents. As the world grapples with the fallout of startling revelations, it is imperative to shed light on India’s newfound interest in the “assassination spree.”
India’s covert activities have transcended borders, leaving a trail of blood and suspicion. Canada and the US bear witness to a grim pattern, the targeted killings of Sikh activists, with Indian involvement suspected. One major example is of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose assassination in 2023 prompted the Canadian Prime Minister to level allegations of Indian intelligence involvement, later endorsed by the Five Eyes Intelligence Consortium and the US President, Joe Biden. Even prominent figures in the United Kingdom like Avtar Singh Khanda, whose wife accused Indian intelligence of poisoning him, are not immune from India’s shady business abroad. This is not mere speculation; the US Department of Justice, in a landmark ruling, recently convicted Indian agent Nikhil Gupta for the attempted murder of US citizen, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, further solidifying concerns about India’s transnational reach and disregard for international law. The FBI’s warning to Sikh Americans about threats to their lives after Nijjar’s killing further accentuated the gravity of the situation. These brazen acts have raised alarm bells globally.
As a whistle blower, The Intercept, pulled down the curtain on India’s sinister spree of murders on the foreign soil. Leaked Pakistani intelligence assessments corroborate Canada’s claims of an Indian assassination program. R&AW, working in tandem with local criminal and dissident networks, was found systematically targeting Sikh and Kashmiri activists, who were living abroad. The documents reveal a horifying modus operandi of recruitment, financing, and support for criminals, terrorists, and unwitting civilians to carry out assassinations1.
Pakistan, directly affected by these activities, busted Indian network operating in Pakistan. The January 25th official presser by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) presented a dossier containing evidence, including intercepted communications and financial transactions, linking R&AW to the extrajudicial killings of Kashmiri freedom fighters and Sikhs within Pakistan. Followed by presser of Foreign Secretary, Syrus Qazi on 1st Feb, in which he further emphasized Pakistan’s concerns and its stance on India’s interference. His remarks underscored India’s unwillingness to acknowledge or cooperate in investigations related to the extrajudicial killings and highlighted India’s “transnational repression”.
R&AW targets individuals and religious institutions, who are suspected of supporting the freedom struggle in Indian Occupied Kashmir. They also focus on militant Sikh activists residing in Pakistan, as individuals wanted by the Indian Government. One case stands out: the assassination of Shahid Latif in Sialkot, Pakistan. Indian agent Ashok Kumar and Yogesh Kumar, operating from a third country, planned the killing of Shahid Latif through a network of local criminals and terrorists. The meticulously compartmentalized operation involved recruitment via social media, talent spotters, and fake Da’esh accounts. The killers-for-hire, after several failed attempts, successfully executed the mission. The Indian media’s glorification of some of the killings as retribution against perceived enemies, only adds suspicions of Government’s patronage to those murders.
Another victim, Muhammad Riaz, met his fate during Fajr prayer in a Rawalakot mosque. Indian agents were involved in his assassination too. The sophistication of covert operation, spanning multiple jurisdictions, is bone chilling. The Pakistani intelligence assessment points to a transnational network of assassins, financed and directed by R&AW2, in this case, as well.
Experts and human rights groups have expressed deep concern over these allegations. Renowned international law scholar Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions for the United Nations, has stated that “any extrajudicial killing is a violation of international law,” emphasizing the need for thorough investigations and accountability.
India’s image as a responsible global actor is tainted due to such heinous crimes. The perception that it operates death squads beyond its borders undermines its credibility. The international community views India through a different lens—one that questions its commitment to human rights and adherence to international norms. The revelations surrounding India’s covert assassination campaign are indeed a matter of global concern. It is time for the international community to confront this transnational menace head-on.
