India is treating allegations of a plot to assassinate an American citizen with seriousness, according to the US State Department. This was confirmed during a meeting between visiting Indian officials and representatives from the US State Department and Department of Justice.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed the matter during a press briefing, stating, “They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously, that the activities contained in the DOJ indictment do not represent government policy.”
The meeting was part of an ongoing dialogue at the highest levels between India and the US, following the indictment of Indian national Nikhil Gupta last year.
Gupta was charged with working alongside an Indian government employee in a failed attempt to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the US soon after.
Tell me who your friend is
Khalistani terrorist Pannun boasts direct links with 🇨🇦Trudeau’s cabinet who supposedly shared anti-India information with his ‘Sikhs for Justice’ group👇pic.twitter.com/3gLfq27bDS
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) October 16, 2024
The Indian government has denied any involvement but has set up an internal investigation committee to look into the claims. The inquiry committee’s visit to the US aimed to further the investigation on both sides.
Miller added, “The meeting that happened this week… was to discuss their active investigation into the matter, for us to update them on our active investigation, and to continue to share sides about steps that could happen in the days and weeks to come.”
Despite the allegations, the US State Department emphasized that India remains a strong partner of the United States, with shared interests in maintaining a prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
