Washington/Islamabad — United States prosecutors have alleged that an intelligence-linked Indian agent plotted killings in Pakistan and Nepal, widening the fallout of a case already straining India’s ties with multiple countries.

According to court documents filed in a federal court in New York, Indian national Nikhil Gupta worked under the direction of Vikash Yadav, a serving officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Prosecutors say Gupta initially attempted to assassinate Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, in New York in 2023.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and later extradited to the United States, where he now faces trial. The case has drawn sharp scrutiny because of allegations that a serving RAW officer directly ordered the killing.

Expansion Beyond the US

The newly filed court documents, reviewed by Bloomberg on Friday, show that Gupta and Yadav also discussed plans to assassinate another target in Pakistan and one in Nepal. The filings cite hundreds of WhatsApp messages and emails exchanged between the two men, covering discussions on weapons supply, target selection, and operational coordination.

Prosecutors linked the duo to the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, another Sikh separatist activist and close associate of Pannun. Nijjar’s murder outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, strained relations between Ottawa and New Delhi, with Canada accusing Indian agents of involvement, a charge India has denied.

India’s Response

The case has forced India to respond under pressure from Washington. Last year, India acknowledged that its agents may have been involved in the foiled assassination attempt against Pannun in New York. Reports suggested that one officer was removed from RAW’s service following the disclosures. New Delhi has, however, rejected broader accusations of conducting overseas targeted killings.

Pakistani Position

Officials in Islamabad have seized on the latest revelations, arguing that they validate Pakistan’s long-standing complaints about Indian intelligence agencies orchestrating cross-border subversion and extraterritorial killings.

The Foreign Office has previously raised concerns about India’s alleged role in supporting militant proxies inside Pakistan, including in Balochistan and along the Afghanistan border. Analysts say the new disclosures will likely intensify diplomatic pressure on India across South Asia.

Recently, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif, in an interview with a German magazine earlier in September, said that Indian military officers have been involved in terrorist activities inside Pakistan and that Islamabad possesses multiple credible pieces of evidence in this regard.

Also See: Indian Officers, Afghan Nationals Linked to Terrorism in Pakistan, Says DG ISPR

Wider Diplomatic Fallout

The allegations now span at least four countries,  the United States, Canada, Pakistan, and Nepal, each with separate claims of Indian-linked operations. For Washington, the trial underscores the risk of foreign governments carrying out extrajudicial actions on its soil. For Canada, the Nijjar killing remains a flashpoint. For Pakistan and Nepal, the court revelations point to potential violations of sovereignty and international law.

International observers warn that the case could complicate India’s relationships not only with its neighbours but also with its Western partners, many of whom rely on New Delhi as a counterbalance to China in the Asia-Pacific.