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US Prosecution Reveals "Indian Government Agent Behind Assassination Attempt of American Sikh Leader"
The US labels it a "serious matter" as the indictment is made public
- 미디어1 (media@koreatimes.net)
- Nov 30 2023 02:06 PM
Over $10,000 was handed to a hitman Evidence also suggests involvement in the murder of a Canadian Sikh Biden's nurtured Indo-US relationship faces a setback
The US prosecution revealed on the 29th of last month (local time) that the Indian government had deployed agents to assassinate a Sikh leader, who is a US citizen and advocates for independence from India, on US soil. Sikhism is a minority religion in India and has faced oppression from the Indian government for advocating for an autonomous state.
Canadian Sikhs, outraged over the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, beat a panel of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with shoes during a rally outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto, Ontario, in September. Toronto=AFP Yonhap News
The release of the indictment is seen as a declaration by the US government to treat the matter seriously, raising concerns over possible strains in the relationship between the US and India, a relationship that President Joe Biden has painstakingly nurtured.
According to the New York Times (NYT) and the Financial Times (FT), the Southern District of New York charged Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, for his involvement in the assassination plot against Kulpreet Singh Pannu, a US citizen and Sikh leader. The indictment revealed that in June, Gupta hired a hitman and agreed to pay $100,000 to murder Pannu. The hitman, who received intelligence about the assassination, turned out to be an undercover agent of the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Gupta, deceived, paid the down payment and waited, but the crime was not executed. He was arrested in the Czech Republic in June and is currently undergoing extradition proceedings to the US.
Behind Gupta was a senior agent from the Indian security authorities. The FT reported that India's judicial authorities agreed to drop criminal charges against Gupta in exchange for carrying out the assassination. During the investigation, it was also discovered that the Indian government might have been involved in another incident - the shooting death of another Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada last June. The senior agent sent Pannu's address to Gupta along with a video of Nijjar's corpse. The agent and Gupta also conspired to kill three other Sikhs residing in the US and Canada. If the charges are true, it implies that the Indian government sponsored organized assassinations on foreign soil.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) predicts that this incident could significantly damage the relationship between the US and India. President Biden, in August, sent William Burns, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and in October, sent Avril Haines, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), to India to demand severe punishment for those responsible for the assassination plot. However, the Indian government has denied involvement. The Washington Post (WP) reported that during the G20 summit held in India in September, President Biden raised the issue with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The US has been investing in its relationship with India as a counterbalance to China. If this issue is not resolved promptly, it could escalate into a diplomatic dispute. After the Canadian government announced in September that "Indian government agents were behind the assassination of Nijjar," diplomatic relations quickly deteriorated, with both governments expelling diplomats.
By Yujin Lee, Reporter
www.koreatimes.net/English News
미디어1 (media@koreatimes.net)
