US indicts Indian for Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder plot; New Delhi orders probe

NEW DELHI: The United States Justice Department has indicted Indian nationals, including a government employee, in a failed plot to kill Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York recently. The indictment also linked the Pannun plot to the murder of Hardeep Nijjar in Vancouver. The Indian government employee allegedly shared visual evidence of Nijjar's murder, later in Surrey, before giving the go-ahead for a strike in New York, as per charges.

Hours before the indictment was made public, the Ministry of External Affairs said in New Delhi that India had constituted a high-level inquiry committee to look into inputs shared by the US on bilateral security cooperation, pertaining to a nexus between organised criminals, gun runners and terrorists.

The US attorney general's office news release said that Indian national Nikhil Gupta was arrested and charged for attempting to kill Pannun by hiring a purported hitman, who was actually an undercover US agent. The detailed indictment linked Gupta to an Indian government employee who worked for an agency and served with the Central Reserve Police Force.


The court documents have not named the Indian government employee but give details of his alleged postings, including his posting as a 'senior field officer'. The documents say that Gupta was allegedly hired by the Indian government employee to assassinate Pannun. The documents alleged that in exchange he was promised that criminal cases registered against Gupta by the Gujarat Police would be dropped.

"CC-1 (the unnamed Indian government employee) was employed at all times relevant to this indictment by the Indian government, resides in India, and directed the assassination plot from India," the indictment reads.

MEA earlier announced the setting up of an inquiry that will look into all aspects of the manner and base follow up actions by the government. "It is informed that on 18 November 2023, the Government of India constituted a high-level enquiry committee to look into all relevant aspects of the matter. Government of India will take necessary follow-up action based on the findings of the enquiry committee," the ministry said.