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Centre recommends legal action against ‘individual’ accused of murder plot by US
The high-level panel was set up in November 2023 after Washington DC alleged an attempt to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
A high-powered enquiry panel submitted its report on the “activities of some organised criminal groups and terrorist organisations, which undermined the security interests of both India and the United States,” the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Wednesday.
The high-level panel was set up in November 2023 after Washington DC alleged an attempt to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Vikash Yadav, said to be a former officer of India's external intelligence agency RAW, was named by the US in connection with the failed assassination attempt on Pannun.
“The Enquiry Committee conducted its own investigations, and also pursued leads provided by the US side. It received full cooperation from US authorities and the two sides also exchanged visits. The Committee further examined a number of officials from different agencies and also scrutinised relevant documents in this connection,” the MHA stated.
“After a long enquiry, the Committee has submitted its report to the Government and recommended legal action against an individual, whose earlier criminal links and antecedents also came to notice during the enquiry. The Enquiry Committee has recommended that the legal action must be completed expeditiously,” the statement added.
“The Committee further recommended functional improvements in systems and procedures as also initiation of steps that could strengthen India’s response capability, ensure systematic controls and coordinated action in dealing with matters like this,” the MHA said.
‘Individual named in US Justice Dept sacked’: India in October
Last October, the ministry of external affairs had confirmed that the individual named in the US Justice Department's indictment case in a foiled assassination plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was no longer an employee of the government of India.
"The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.
According to an ANI report, the US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to assassinate Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities.
United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had identified ‘CC-1’ as Vikash (Vikas) Yadav, “a former Indian government employee."
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
