New Delhi, Nov 30: India said on Thursday that the US accusing an Indian national of planning to assassinate a Sikh separatist on US soil is a “matter of concern” and that a high-level investigative committee will look into the case from all angles. A investigative team has been established by India to look into claims regarding the aborted attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh fanatic who is recognised as an American and Canadian citizen. Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, was accused by US federal prosecutors on Wednesday of collaborating with an Indian government employee in the thwarted assassination attempt against Pannun.On Wednesday, US prosecutors told a Manhattan judge that Gupta was apprehended and held by Czech officials, and that he is presently in the process of being extradited to the US. “This is a matter of concern regarding the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court allegedly linking him to an Indian official,” said Arindam Bagchi, a spokeswoman for the External Affairs Ministry. At a press briefing, he stated, “We have said and let me reiterate that this is also contrary to government policy.”According to Bagchi, there is a serious connection between international extremism, gunrunning, trafficking, and organised crime. As a result, a high-level inquiry committee has been established, and its findings will undoubtedly guide law enforcement agencies and organisations in their work. According to the MEA spokeswoman, the US side provided certain “inputs” about the relationship between terrorists, gun smugglers, and organised crime. India takes these inputs seriously since they affect “our national security interests as well,” and the relevant authorities are looking into the matter.He stated, “The US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gunrunners, terrorists, and other extremists during the course of discussions with the US on bilateral security cooperation.” In the same words that he mentioned on Wednesday, “We take such inputs very seriously and a high level inquiry committee has been constituted to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter.” According to Bagchi, India would take the required additional steps in light of the inquiry committee’s conclusions. “On such security matters, we cannot share any further information,” he declared.Indian investigation agencies are looking for Pannun, the head of the ‘Sikhs for Justice,’ on a number of terror-related allegations. The Financial Times first revealed last week—citing unidentified sources—that US agents had thwarted an attempt to kill Pannun and had warned the Indian government that it might have been complicit in the plot. According to The Washington Post on Wednesday, the Biden administration demanded an investigation and held those responsible for it accountable, sending Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Director of the CIA William J. Burns to India in August and October, respectively, after learning of the plot.The claims made by Washington on the foiled plot were made several weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Indian agents may have had a “potential” role in the June murder of Khalistani rebel Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver neighbourhood. India had vehemently denied Trudeau’s accusations. Regarding Canada’s accusations, Bagchi stated that the primary concern with Ottawa has been the actions of anti-Indian factions within that nation. The core of the problem, as far as Canada is concerned, is that they have persistently allowed violent and fanatical anti-Indian sentiment to flourish. The weight of this has been placed on our diplomatic representatives in Canada, according to Bagchi.“We anticipate that the Canadian government will fulfil its responsibilities as outlined in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Additionally, we have observed Canadian diplomats meddling in our domestic matters,” he stated. Bagchi continued, “It is obviously unacceptable.”
