Washington, In a significant development, US authorities reportedly thwarted a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the United States and subsequently issued a diplomatic warning to India over concerns of its potential involvement, as per sources cited by the Financial Times (FT).
The targeted individual, identified as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is known for advocating the creation of an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan, a demand considered fringe but rooted in a decades-long movement.
The Financial Times said thatThe report did not specify if the protest to India led to the abandonment of the plot or if it was foiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The warning to New Delhi was allegedly conveyed after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States in June, where he met President Joe Biden,the report said .
The FT report comes on the heels of Canada’s claim, two months earlier, of “credible” allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Vancouver. India has firmly rejected these accusations.
Besides the diplomatic protest, US federal prosecutors have reportedly filed a sealed indictment against at least one suspect in a New York district court. The identity of the plotters and their specific motives remains undisclosed, the FT report said.
The paper identified Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as the target of the foiled plot.
The FT said Pannun has not confirmed whether he was warned by US authorities but mentioned he would let the US government address threats to his life on American soil. Pannun faces legal issues in India, where the anti-terror agency recently filed a case against him under various provisions, including threatening Air India’s operations worldwide.
The FT report indicates that the US shared details of the thwarted plot with a broader group of allies following Canada’s public accusation of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s murder.
There has been no immediate response from India’s foreign ministry or the US embassy in New Delhi regarding the report.
