The US Department of Justice has issued a statement alleging to foil a plot from India to murder a US-based Sikh separatist.
The foreign ministry earlier said that it was examining the inputs from the United States.
Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, was allegedly the target of the plot.
In a statement on Wednesday, the US Attorney’s Office accused an Indian government employee of being part of a murder conspiracy.
The US Attorney’s Office has filed “murder-for-hire” and murder-for-hire conspiracy charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The US alleged a plot from India to murder US-based Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
“We have already said that during the course of discussions with the US on bilateral security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others. We had also indicated that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue,” the Indian foreign ministry has said.
“In this context, it is informed that on November 18, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter,” the ministry said.
India will take “necessary follow-up action” based on the findings of the committee, it added.
On November 20, the National Investigation Agency filed a case against Pannun, accusing him of issuing social media messages that said people flying with Air India were in danger.
He had also claimed that Air India would not be allowed to operate on November 19.
