A high-powered investigative panel created by Central Government that examines criminal and terrorist groups' activities has recommended stringent legal action against individuals accused in the assassination attempt on Gurupatwant Singh Pannun, the Khalistani separatist who has dual citizenship of the United States and Canada. The accused person is identified as ‘CC-1’, and a complaint has been filed in his name in New York City. 

The Union Home Ministry (MHA) said in a statement confirming the submission of the report that the inquiry committee was formed in 2023 to investigate the individual's links with drug mafia and criminal gangs after allegations of conspiracy to disrupt American security interests surfaced.

The MHA stated, “After a long enquiry, the Committee has recommended legal action against an individual, whose earlier criminal links and antecedents also came to notice during the enquiry.”

Sources revealed that the report referred to the man as 'CC-1', but the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) later identified him as Vikash Yadav. Vikash Yadav earlier worked India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), but the Indian Government announced ‘CC-1’ was no longer an employee of the organisation.

The MHA also said that the high-powered panel has recommended legal action against the person as soon as possible. “The Enquiry Committee conducted its own investigations and also pursued leads provided by the US side. It received full cooperation from US authorities and the two sides also exchanged visits. The Committee further examined a number of officials from different agencies and also scrutinised relevant documents in this connection,” the MHA stated.

As per the statement, the MHA said that the panel has additionally suggested, “functional improvements in systems and procedures as also the initiation of steps that could strengthen India’s response capability, ensure systematic controls and coordinated action in dealing with matters like this”.

The US Attorney's Office in New York said that Vikash Yadav has been charged with "murder for hire and money laundering" for the attempted murder of Pannun.

According to reports from the United States, the FBI has further accused Indian agents of involvement in assassination attempts. “The FBI will not tolerate any violence or other attempts to retaliate for the exercise of the constitutionally protected rights of those living in the United States," said then-FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Primarily, Yadav is charged with recruiting an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to carry out the killings in May 2023. After travelling from India, Gupta was arrested in Prague in June of that year and later extradited to the United States, where he denies the charges. It is alleged that Yadav, taking the help of Gupta, hired a man to carry out the assassination for $100,000.