In a follow-up action after the United State’s legal actions against Indian national Nikhil Gupta for allegedly conspiring to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, India has constituted a high-level committee to look into security concerns raised by the US on bilateral security cooperation.
In a statement acknowledging the seriousness of the matter, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the Indian government will be taking “necessary follow-up action” based on the findings of the inquiry committee.
India’s Statement
“We have already said that during the course of discussions with the US on bilateral security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others,” Bagchi said.
“We had also indicated that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue,” he added.
The MEA said that the enquiry committee was constituted on November 18.
“In this context, it is informed that on 18 November 2023, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter,” the MEA spokesperson said.
He added that the government of India will take necessary follow-up action based on the findings of the Enquiry Committee.
On November 22, the MEA had informed that the US had shared some inputs pertaining to a “nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others” during the course of recent discussions on India-US security cooperation.
Bagchi had said that India takes such inputs seriously since it impinges on its own security interests as well. He said the inputs are the cause of concern for both countries and necessary follow-up action is being taken.
US Charges Indian National for Conspiring to Murder Pannun
India’s statement came after US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Wednesday said that an Indian national had allegedly orchestrated an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Pannun, who is an American citizen.
Nikhil Gupta, 52, has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Matthew G. Olsen said.
“Earlier this year, an Indian government employee, working together with others, including Gupta, in India and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on US soil an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City.” DoJ said in a release.
Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in June and is awaiting extradition. Sources, meanwhile, said India is also watching Gupta’s case carefully but it is wrong to say that Indian agencies gave him the task of killing Pannun.
The US, which is putting pressure on the Czech Republic to extradite Gupta, is likely to be successful but Indian authorities said the country does not have any evidence against him as he is not involved in any way.
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