Following the threats issued by Pannun against Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the MEA had emphasized India’s serious approach to such security threats
Our Bureau
New Delhi/Washington, DC
In a sensational development, a high-powered Enquiry Committee set up by the government in the wake of information provided by US authorities regarding activities of some organized criminal groups, terrorist organizations which undermined security interests of both countries, has recommended action against an individual whose earlier criminal links and antecedents also came to notice during the probe.
The Enquiry Committee also recommended that the legal action must be completed expeditiously. The Committee was set up in November 2023 after the US authorities shared information about organized criminal groups, terrorist organizations, and drug peddlers undermining the security interests of both nations.
“After a long enquiry, the Committee has submitted its report to the Government and recommended legal action against an individual, whose earlier criminal links and antecedents also came to notice during the enquiry. The Enquiry Committee has recommended that the legal action must be completed expeditiously,” a Home Ministry statement said.
The US Justice Department in October 2024 announced the filing of murder-for-hire and money laundering charges against a former Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, in connection with his alleged role in directing a foiled plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is has dual citizenship of US and Canada.
The Ministry of External Affairs in December last year had said that the individual named in the US Justice Department’s indictment case in a foiled assassination plot was no longer an employee of the government of India.
“The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
The Enquiry Committee set up by the government conducted its own investigations and also pursued leads provided by the US side. It received full cooperation from US authorities and the two sides also exchanged visits. The committee further examined a number of officials from different agencies and also scrutinized relevant documents in this connection.
The Enquiry Committee emphasized that the legal process should be concluded expeditiously to address the security concerns effectively.
In addition to the legal recommendations, the Committee proposed several systemic improvements. These include enhancing existing systems and procedures, strengthening India’s response capabilities, and ensuring better coordination and control in addressing similar threats in the future.
The recommendations aim to reinforce India’s ability to counter organized criminal activities and safeguard national security through a more robust and coordinated approach. “The Committee has further recommended functional improvements in systems and procedures as also the initiation of steps that could strengthen India’s response capability, ensure systematic controls and coordinate action in dealing with matters like this,” the statement said.
Recently, following the threats issued by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized India’s serious approach to such security threats. At a press briefing in New Delhi, Jaiswal had said, “As in when such threats are issued, we take the threats very seriously and we raise it with the US government.”
Earlier in October, the MEA had confirmed that the individual named in the US Justice Department’s indictment case in a foiled assassination plot against Pannun was no longer an employee of the government of India. “The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” Jaiswal had said.
The US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination of Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.
According to the allegations levelled earlier, the accused Nikhil Gupta, is an associate of an employee of the Indian government and together they and others helped plot the assassination of Pannun in New York City.
