New York: India’s investigation into an attempted murder of a Sikh leader in New York, the US, has found that rogue operatives were involved in the plot, according to international news agency Bloomberg, headquartered in New York.
According to Kashmir Media Service, at least one person directly involved in the attempted assassination is still employed by the government, but India has not started any criminal action against him, the report added.
New Delhi has informed US authorities about the findings from the government-appointed panel set up to probe the allegations. The US is demanding a criminal prosecution of the individuals involved, a call reiterated by Donald Lu, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, during his visit to India in January.
US prosecutors in November accused an Indian government official of directing a plot to kill a Sikh activist, who holds US citizenship, in New York in June. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh Kashlistan leader and vocal critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, later said he was the intended victim.
The US expects accountability from India’s government based on the outcome of the investigation, a State Department spokesperson said. The department continues to raise its concerns directly with the Indian government at senior levels.
On Wednesday, assistant secretary of state Lu was questioned about the matter at a US House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington. Lu said the US has asked India to “work quickly and transparently to make sure justice is done.” The Biden administration takes the allegations of attempted murder “incredible seriously and have raised this at the highest levels with India,” he added.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not yet responded to a request for comment. India has not made public any details of the high-level committee set up to investigate the US allegations.
The case has put the US in an awkward spot and adds to evidence that India may be targeting Sikh activists overseas. In September, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sparked a diplomatic storm after he publicly accused India of orchestrating the murder of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil — allegations New Delhi vigorously denied.
The dispute prompted India to force Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff in the country, impacting visa services for Indians seeking to travel to Canada.
