US to India on Gurpatwant Pannun Assassination Plot: “Won’t Be Fully Satisfied Until Accountability Ensured”

US to India on Gurpatwant Pannun Assassination Plot: “Won’t Be Fully Satisfied Until Accountability Ensured”

The United States said on Tuesday that it had had a “valuable engagement” with India’s investigative committee last week over the assassination plan that was thwarted against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistani activist based in the United States. Vedant Patel, the lead deputy spokesperson for the United States, said the two nations shared important material to support their separate investigations.

The US is not content until there is “meaningful accountability” in the matter, Patel said during a media briefing, despite the fact that the talks were good. In light of their recent discussions, he underlined that the US expects India to take additional action.

Patel responded, “There was valuable engagement with India’s inquiry committee last week, and information was exchanged between our governments to further our investigations,” when questioned about the US government’s position on the case. We anticipate development and are aware that India would carry out its probe.”

The US “won’t be fully satisfied until there is meaningful accountability” in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun case, Patel added, emphasizing that the US demands justice based on the investigation’s conclusions. Citing the ongoing nature of the investigations, he declined to provide further specifics.

The US Department of State disclosed that an Indian inquiry team had traveled to the US to look into the role of a former Indian government official in the thwarted assassination attempt against Pannun, an Indian-designated terrorist who is a citizen of both the United States and Canada.

Vikash Yadav, a former officer in India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was charged by the US Justice Department in November with masterminding the plot to kill Pannun in New York City. According to the accusation, Yadav worked with others in India and overseas to execute the scheme starting in May 2023.

According to a Reuters story, US officials have urged India to take swift responsibility for the matter. According to an unidentified US source, they have “clearly communicated” their desire for “meaningful accountability” and asked India to move quickly to begin its investigation.

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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has confirmed that Vikash Yadav, who was named in the US indictment, is done working for the Indian government. “The individual referenced in the indictment is done working for the Public Government of India,” MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal expressed.

This case comes amid already tense relations between India and Canada, following allegations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that India was involved in the assassination of Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has strongly refuted any involvement in either of the two incidents.