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US State Dept. Engages with Indian Govt. Amid Alleged Pannun Killing Plot

On Tuesday,  US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma said that America will keep talking to Indian government about the reported attempt to kill Khalistani militant Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US.

“I know we raised our concerns with the Government of India. There is a committee of inquiry looking into the matter, and we will stay engaged with the government and look forward to their findings. And they’ve taken it very seriously, and we’re grateful for that,” Verma said.

He made the remarks at the event titled ‘The Long View from DC: The India-US Partnership’ hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Delhi. This statement came after the US Justice Department revealed charges against an Indian citizen for their supposed role in the failed attempt to assassinate Pannun.

Earlier in November, the US Justice Department asserted that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who remained unnamed in the indictment submitted to a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.

Under murder-for-hire charges, Nikhil Gupta is currently under Czech Republic custody. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. During his speech at the event, Richard Verma underscored the connections between India and the US. He reminisced about Mahatma Gandhi’s correspondence with then-US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt regarding his writings.

Additionally, he mentioned that Martin Luther King drew inspiration from Gandhi’s writings. He emphasized that these connections and concepts traverse three distinct pathways: overcoming the constraints and remnants of colonialism, advocating for social justice and equality, and striving to construct a stable, inclusive democratic system governed by the people. He referred to these ideas as the bedrock of the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

Spotlighting the development of relations between India and the US, he asserted two nations with no prior defense sales, were now major defense partners and were conducting complex exercises in every facet. The bilateral trade between India and the US has witnessed a 100 per cent rise in the last 10 years.

Speaking about the Indian diaspora in the US, he said, “People-to-people ties, America boasts well over 4 million Americans of Indian descent, including a vice president and a leading presidential candidate. Last year, the US in this embassy issued over 1 million visas and now there are nearly 270,000 Indian students in the United States. I could go on and on through all the categories of our work together. But it’s safe to say we have done well. It has not been perfect. But I say this with all humility. It has been transformative and impactful and it has brought greater peace and stability to the Indo-Pacific region”

He said that when the US and India work closely together on global issues, it benefits the world. Verma described India and the US as democratic countries with a history of colonial rule, and he mentioned that both countries aim for equality, social inclusion, and the rights of racial and minority groups.

In his remarks, he said, “Our security cooperation will become even more important in the years ahead. The threats we face are real. But building our collective capabilities is increasing our sharing of information and improving maritime domain awareness and interoperability for example, we will ensure India continues to be a provider of net security across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. And the US will continue to be at Pacific power for the decades ahead, security cooperation.”

In Delhi, Richard Verma held a meeting with with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal discussing the trade ties shared between the two nations. Sharing pictures from the meeting, Goyal, in a post on social media platform X, wrote, “Delighted to meet Richard R. Verma, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.”
“Held fruitful discussions to further strengthen India-US trade and investment ties to explore new opportunities for greater collaboration and growth,” he added.

Ahaana Sapra

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