Explained: Why RAW shut down its North American bases
Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has reportedly closed its North American stations for the first time since 1968. RAW's influence in Western nations has gradually expanded since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, with concerns rising over its undercover operations. Girish Linganna reports
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FollowIndian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has reportedly closed its stations in North America for the first time since 1968. This comes as criminal charges were brought against an Indian citizen for planning to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. According to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, a man named Nikhil Gupta, aged 52, collaborated with an Indian government employee responsible for security and intelligence to plan the assassination the New York City resident who heads the Sikhs for Justice outfit.
The global attention on RAW has increased, particularly since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of being connected to the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver suburb in June. India strongly rejected the allegations and requested Canada to provide evidence. Canada, which expelled the chief of RAW's station, claimed to have shared evidence with its allies but decided not to release it publicly.
According to a recent report by Reuters, Indian intelligence officials and analysts have expressed concerns about increased global monitoring on RAW in the wake of the Vancouver incident. The report mentioned that it interviewed six Indian security and intelligence officials, both retired and serving, who have knowledge of RAW. These officials revealed that after the devastating Mumbai attacks in 2008 that claimed the lives of 166 individuals, RAW was motivated to take on a more proactive role in international affairs. The officials requested anonymity as they were discussing sensitive subjects.
According to four officials, RAW has gradually expanded its influence in Western nations since 2008. One official, who is currently serving, mentioned that a significant reason behind this shift was India's inability to extradite a US citizen who was convicted for his role in the Mumbai attack. This incident served as a crucial motivation for RAW to strengthen its presence in the Western countries.
Last week, Pakistan expressed worry about the substantial growth of India's undercover operations, which include spying and carrying out assassinations beyond its own territory. Pakistan condemned these actions as clear breaches of international law. According to sources in intelligence, a recent report by ThePrint disclosed that two senior officials from RAW were instructed to leave their positions in important cities in the Western countries during the summer. The names of these officers were not disclosed in the report to protect their identities, as they are still working for the agency.
As per the report, the decision to expel the officers was just one of several actions taken to express discontent with what the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom perceived as violations of the informal agreements that guide the operations of RAW in their respective countries.
According to the sources, the report stated that the officials asked to leave their posts were the chief of RAW's station in San Francisco and the deputy head of its operations in London. The report said that the closure of RAW’s stations in San Francisco and Washington DC, along with the expulsion of its station chief in Ottawa, Pavan Rai, meant that the agency is now without representation in North America for the first time since it was established in 1968 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Prosecutors in the US have stated that Nikhil Gupta, who is suspected of being involved in drug dealing, was allegedly approached by someone claiming to be affiliated with the Indian intelligence services. This individual offered Gupta a sum of money, possibly up to $150,000, to organize the assassination of an unidentified lawyer and activist associated with the Khalistan movement.
According to sources, US officials informed their counterparts in New Delhi that RAW was involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, a prominent activist and lawyer associated with the Khalistan movement. The report also mentioned that the decision to expel the RAW officer in San Francisco was made because there were concerns that the United States would not cooperate with Indian intelligence if the agency continued to conduct offensive operations in the Western region.
Media sources have reported that British intelligence expressed discontent on multiple occasions regarding RAW's growing participation in Sikh diasporic politics in the country. This was during the tenure of former chief Goel, who was an IPS officer from Punjab and had previously been involved in anti-Khalistan terrorist operations before joining RAW.
The report also includes a statement from an anonymous senior RAW officer who mentioned that if the situation worsens significantly, it could possibly involve the ambassador or high commissioner. However, it is worth noting that things have never reached this level before.
