- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Wed, 06 Dec 2023 08:23 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
The United States has hailed India’s efforts to probe an alleged Indian link to a foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. US Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer conveyed to Delhi that accountability in the alleged conspiracy to murder Pannun should be fixed, news agency PTI reported. The White House said Finer acknowledged India’s establishment of a committee of enquiry to probe the incident.
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"Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a committee of enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," the statement reads.
In a public address on Monday, Finer said the US and India have maintained a mature relationship that enables both sides to identify opportunities and work through the differences.
The US also said it would wait for the outcome of the investigation launched by the Indian authorities in this case. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the secretary of state raised the issue directly with his foreign counterpart and India publically announced a probe. He said they will wait to see the outcome.
Notably, the US last week charged an Indian national in connection with the assassination plot of Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
52-year-old Nikhil Gupta has been charged with murder-for-hire. US authorities said Gupta agreed to pay an assassin $100,000 to eliminate Pannu, who is staying in New York City.
The US authorities warned the Indian government following the development. "As alleged, the defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India," a US official said.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they were taking ‘very seriously’ the allegations that Indian government official was involved in planning Pannun’s assassination on their soil. He also welcomed India’s investigation into the case.