Our Bureau
Washington, DC
The United States on Thursday said that the meeting with the Indian Inquiry Committee regarding the alleged foiled assassination plot of the US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was “productive” and America was “satisfied” with the cooperation.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed satisfaction with India’s cooperation in the investigation.
Regarding the alleged involvement of an Indian government official in the assassination plan of Pannun, Miller informed that the person “is no longer an employee of the Indian government.”
“It was a productive meeting. They did inform us that the individual who was named in the Justice Department indictment is no longer an employee of the Indian government. 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 said.
The US had alleged that the accused Nikhil Gupta, is an associate of an employee of the Indian government and that together they and others helped plot the assassination of Pannun in New York City.
Earlier in June, he was extradited from the Czech Republic to the US to stand trial, where he pleaded ‘not guilty.’
The Indian inquiry committee has visited the United States to investigate the involvement of an Indian government official in a foiled plot to assassinate a US national, the US Department of State said.
Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship. Earlier in November, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate a US-based leader of the Sikh Separatist Movement and a citizen in New York.
India in November last year formed a high-level inquiry committee to address the security concerns highlighted by the US government. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue.
