An Indian government employee is accused of plotting the murder-for-hire of a Sikh separatist leader in New York City, the Justice Department said.

A former Indian government employee was charged Thursday in New York with murder-for-hire for his role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist and critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration,

The US has charged a former Indian spy for allegedly planning assassination of a Sikh separatist and Indian critic in New York City. Washington has alleged that Indian agents were behind the plot against dual US-Canadian citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.