The US Justice Department revealed on Wednesday that a failed plot to assassinate a US resident, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was orchestrated by an Indian government official, Reuters reported.
Nikhil Gupta, aged 52, collaborated with the unnamed Indian official, responsible for security and intelligence, in planning the assassination of Pannun, who lives in the New York City, the report claimed.
While the US did not disclose the official’s identity, India expressed concern, distancing itself from the plot and emphasising it goes against government policy.
Although the US prosecutors did not name the target, identified as a US citizen of Indian origin, officials have revealed him as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, the news agency reported.
Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in June, awaiting extradition, and has not commented on the allegations.
This revelation follows Canada’s statement two months ago, alleging credible links between Indian agents and the June murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver suburb, a claim rejected by India.
According to the report, Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, highlighted that Gupta, operating from India, conspired to assassinate the US citizen advocating for a sovereign Sikh state right in New York City.
The indictment described the Indian official as a “senior field officer” handling “security management” and “intelligence,” directing the plot from India.
These charges emerge shortly after a senior Biden administration official warned India last week, stating that US authorities had thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh leader in the United States and expressing concerns over potential involvement by the government in New Delhi, the news agency report mentioned.
