In a move aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on a sensitive and high-profile case, U.S. government officials recently held a “productive meeting” with members of the visiting India Enquiry Committee, the U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday. The focus of the discussions was the ongoing investigation into an alleged assassination plot involving a U.S. citizen and Sikh separatist with suspected links to an Indian government official.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller briefed reporters during a daily news conference, expressing satisfaction with India’s cooperation in the case. “We are satisfied with the cooperation. It continues to be an ongoing process. We continue to work with them on that, but we do appreciate the cooperation, and we appreciate them updating us on their investigation as we update them on ours,” Miller stated.
Investigating the Assassination Plot
The case in question centers around an alleged assassination attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent U.S. citizen and Sikh separatist leader. U.S. federal prosecutors have linked the plot to an Indian government official, who is now under investigation by both Indian and American authorities.
The meeting between U.S. and Indian officials was part of a broader cooperative effort to get to the bottom of the allegations. The Indian delegation, known as the India Enquiry Committee, was established to investigate the involvement of the accused Indian official in the assassination plot, which was foiled before it could be carried out.
US State Department Confirms Updates on Investigations
Addressing the details of the meeting, Miller said, “The meeting that occurred yesterday—we, being the U.S. government broadly—updated members of the Committee of Inquiry about the investigation that the United States has been conducting. We’ve received an update from them on the investigation that they have been conducting. It was a productive meeting, and I will leave it at that.”
Although specific details of the investigation were not made public, Miller did confirm a key development related to the Indian official involved in the plot. “They did inform us that the individual, who was named in the Justice Department indictment, is no longer an employee of the Indian government,” he added, providing insight into India’s internal actions regarding the case.
Background of the Case: The Assassination Plot Foiled
The roots of this international investigation trace back to November of the previous year, when U.S. federal prosecutors charged Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, with collaborating on a plot to assassinate Pannun, a vocal Sikh separatist leader. Pannun is a prominent advocate for the creation of Khalistan, a separate Sikh homeland, and has been a controversial figure in India.
The U.S. Department of Justice indictment alleged that Gupta was working alongside an Indian government official to carry out the assassination. Gupta was apprehended in the Czech Republic in June of last year and subsequently extradited to the United States on June 14, 2023.
The U.S. government has taken the plot very seriously, given that it involved the potential assassination of an American citizen on U.S. soil. The case has also put pressure on India, which has categorically denied involvement in the plot but has taken steps to conduct its own internal investigations.
India’s Response and Internal Investigations
Following the allegations, India quickly assembled the India Enquiry Committee, tasked with investigating the claims made by the U.S. Department of Justice. While the Indian government has denied any direct involvement in the plot, it has taken a cooperative stance with U.S. authorities.
The revelation that the accused Indian official is no longer employed by the Indian government is a significant development in the case, though it remains unclear whether this move is linked to the ongoing investigation or other factors.
Ongoing Cooperation and International Ramifications
The investigation into the assassination plot highlights the complexities of international diplomacy, especially when issues of national security and political activism intersect. The U.S. and India, both strategic allies, are carefully navigating the case to ensure that it does not derail broader cooperation between the two countries.
Miller emphasized that the investigation remains an “ongoing process” and that both sides are committed to continued collaboration. “We continue to work with them on this matter,” he said, signaling that U.S. authorities will keep pursuing leads in the case while remaining engaged with their Indian counterparts.
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