Alleged plot to murder Khalistani Pannun thickens; India-US diplomatic ties at play
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan said Nikhil Gupta, 52, worked with the Indian government employee, whose responsibilities included security and intelligence, on the plot to assassinate the New York City resident who advocated for a Sikh sovereign state in northern India.
Prosecutors did not name the Indian official or the target, although they did describe the latter as a U.S.
citizen of Indian origin and U.S. officials have named him as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in June and is awaiting extradition. He could not be reached for comment.
«The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a U.S.
citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs,» Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said in a statement.
The charges come after a senior Biden administration official last week said U.S. authorities had thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved.
Delicate diplomatic issue
The issue is highly delicate for both India and the Biden administration as they try to build closer ties in the face of an ascendant China perceived as a threat for both democracies.
India's Washington embassy and its foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but earlier on Wednesday India's foreign ministry said New Delhi would formally investigate the concerns aired by the United States.
