President-elect Donald Trump has unveiled plans to replace the prosecutor who framed charges against Vikash Yadav, ex-RAW officer who is an accused in the alleged plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Damian Williams had also named Indian national Nikhil Gupta as a co-conspirator.
Williams is the Manhattan District Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Trump unveiled his plans in a post on Truth Social. He named Williams’ replacement as Jay Clayton, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
It is not clear what impact the new appointment, as and when it happens, could have on the cases against Yadav and Gupta. But reports indicate Trump may have his priorities elsewhere.
Williams is overseeing prosecutions in several high-profile cases including the sex-trafficking against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams and the campaign finance case against former Lt Governor Brian Benjamin.
Trump has said in public that Adams was unfairly targeted and the latter has entered a plea of not guilty.
“We were persecuted Eric,” Trump said at a charity dinner, “You’re gonna win Eric.”
Interesting to note that William’s possible replacement Jay Clayton has no experience of criminal prosecutions.
“Jay is a highly respected business leader, counsel and public servant,” Trump posted, “Jay is going to be a strong fighter for the truth.”
The million-dollar question is whether Clayton will see through Williams’ war on corruption by prosecuting Combs, Adams and Benjamin.
Trump has also announced plans to bring in the lead lawyers who represented him in the Manhattan hush money case, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove. They will hold key positions in the office of the attorney general.
India has to hold its patience and see how the Trump administration will respond to the alleged assassination plot of Pannun. The trajectory of India-US relations may well depend on how this case is handled.
