India says high-level panel to look into allegations after US charges Indian in plot to kill SFJ’s Pannun

New Delhi, on Thursday (Nov 30) reiterated that it will be guided by the results of a high-level panel set up as the United States charged an Indian national with conspiring to assassinate Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist in India. 

During a press conference, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), called linking of 52-year-old Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of orchestrating the attempted murder of Pannun, with an Indian government employee a “matter of concern.”

“The nexus between organised crime, trafficking, gunrunning and extremists at an international level is a serious issue for the law enforcement agencies and organisations to consider and it is for that reason that a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted and we will be guided by its results,” said the MEA spokesperson, in response to the question about the case. 

He also called the issue a “matter of concern” and “contrary to government policy.” 

The statement by the MEA comes a day after the 52-year-old was charged with conspiring to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Pannun, who says he is a dual citizen of the US and Canada, on American soil. 

The Financial Times, citing anonymous sources, earlier this month reported that US authorities had thwarted a plot to assassinate Pannun and issued a “warning” to the Indian government over concerns it was linked to the plot.

Following the allegations, Bagchi said the Indian government set up a high-level inquiry committee on November 18 to look into “all the relevant aspects” of the matter. “The Government of India will take necessary follow-up action based on the findings of the Enquiry Committee,” he added.

Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in June and is awaiting extradition. “The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs,” said Damian Williams federal prosecutor in Manhattan. 

While prosecutors did not name the target of Gupta’s alleged plot, they described him as a vocal critic of the Indian government who leads a US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of India’s Punjab state. 

A report by news agency PTI citing the superseding indictment unsealed Wednesday (Nov 29) said that the 52-year-old agreed to the plot after being assured that a criminal case against him in the Indian state of Gujarat would be dismissed. 

The prosecutors in the indictment also outline how Gupta agreed to the plot saying that it was following a “series of telephonic and electronic communications” between an Indian official only identified as “CC-1” over encrypted applications. 

“CC-1 asked Gupta to arrange the murder of the Victim in exchange for CC-1’s assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against Gupta in India,” the indictment, as per PTI, said. 

It added, “In addition to their electronic communications, Gupta also met CC-1 in person in New Delhi in furtherance of the plot.” 

The planning was said to have taken place in May and following CC-1’s “assurances, GUPTA pressed forward to arrange the murder,” the indictment said.

(With inputs from agencies)