US demands swift result, accountability from India over foiled Sikh separatist murder plot
Washington tells New Delhi to quickly investigate Indian official’s alleged role in plans to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
An Indian Enquiry Committee visited Washington last week to discuss India’s own investigations after the Justice Department alleged an Indian intelligence official had directed plans to assassinate dual US-Canada citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist, last year.
“We’ve communicated really clearly that the US government isn’t going to feel fully satisfied until we see that meaningful accountability takes place,” said a US official who declined to be named. “We have been emphasising that we hope that India will move as quickly as possible through their investigative process.”
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington’s message to Indian officials has not been previously reported.
The indictment alleged that beginning in May 2023, Yadav, described as an employee of the Indian government at the time, worked with others in India and abroad to direct a plot against Pannun.
The accusations have tested Washington’s relations with India, which the Biden administration sees as a potential counterbalance to China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.