US accused the Indian of conspiring to kill Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

US accused the Indian of conspiring to kill Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

The US Department of Justice has issued a report alleging that India conspired to kill a US-based Sikh separatist. The Foreign Office said earlier today that it was examining the US inputs.

On Wednesday, the US Justice Department charged an Indian person for being part of a plan to kill a Khalistani leader based in the US, as mentioned in an official press release.

Gupta was captured and is currently being held in the Czech Republic, US investigators told a Manhattan court on Wednesday. He is awaiting extradition to the United States.

Nikhil Gupta, aged 52, is mentioned as an associate of CC-1 in a complaint by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He's an Indian national accused of conspiring with others to kill a US citizen in New York City. The targeted person is a Sikh leader supporting the creation of a separate Sikh nation called 'Khalistan.' The Justice Department document doesn't disclose the victim's identity, but it follows a Financial Times report about a plot to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, another Sikh leader.

As per the complaint, Gupta is linked to a high-ranking official in India's Intelligence Bureau (IB), which is the country's domestic intelligence agency. He is accused of being the main point of contact for others involved in the plot, including a Canadian, a Pakistani, and two Americans. Gupta is alleged to have given them information, advice, and financial help to carry out the plan to commit murder.

15 page US court details how the plan was to kill Khalistani extremist Pannu, names one Nikhil Gupta aka Nick who was recruited to "orchestrate assassination of victim"; Mentions how $15000 were arranged, pictures released in the court document. pic.twitter.com/nJPp0L4ueJ

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) November 29, 2023

Moreover, it was revealed that the individual Gupta attempted to hire as a hitman was an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This legal action follows recent disclosures in the U.S. regarding links between organized crime, illicit gun trade, and terrorists. In reaction, India established a high-level inquiry committee to address security issues. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) underscored the seriousness of the situation and initiated an investigation into pertinent aspects of the case.

The complaint states that Gupta and his partners used secure messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal to talk and plan their actions. They supposedly did surveillance on their targets and talked about different ways to harm them, like shooting, poisoning, or using a car bomb.

The complaint also claims that Gupta and his partners tried to get others involved in their plan and tried to get weapons and explosives for their mission. They supposedly talked about making a fake organization to take responsibility for the killings, trying to justify them as acts of self-defense or resistance.