Page 3 - Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

Unsubstantiated imputations: MEA responds to Post's report on Pannun case

A day after The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to eliminate Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, India on Tuesday said the report made "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputations on a serious matter. The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, named a RAW officer in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun. "The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "There is an ongoing investigation of the high level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others," he said. Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the report. "Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful," Jaiswal said. In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian governme

US-India ties not damaged by Pannun murder plot probe: Eric Garcetti

The alleged plot, which US authorities said was thwarted, was revealed after an associate of Pannun was killed in Canada

Govt's own security interests involved in Pannun probe: EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday asserted that India's national security interests are involved in its investigation into the alleged involvement of a government official in the assassination plot aimed at Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. "It is something we are investigating as we believe our own national security interests are involved in that investigation," he told reporters, replying to a question about US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti's statement that the involvement of a government official in an assassination bid on the citizen of another country is an "unacceptable red line". Jaishankar said the US ambassador will say what he feels is the thinking or position of his government. "The position of my government is that in this particular case, there has been certain information provided to us which we are investigating," he said, adding that India's own security interest is involved in this. "So, as and when we have something to say on the ...

Pannun murder plot: US asks India to quickly, transparently complete probe

Report says Indian investigation into US claims of attempted murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York has found that rogue operatives were involved in plot

India's probe finds rogue officials involved in Pannun's murder plot in US

At least one person directly involved in the alleged attempted assassination is no longer working for India's main spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, the officials said,

Working with India to hold those behind Pannun murder plot accountable: US

The United States is working with the Indian government to hold accountable those behind a plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, according to the Biden administration. An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was charged by federal prosecutors in November last year in connection with his involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. US federal prosecutors have charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee and had agreed to pay an assassin USD 1,00,000 to kill Pannun, who lives in New York City. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations. During a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, "This is a serious issue. A serious issue between the United States and India. The Department of Justice has alleged that an Indian citizen at th

Security tightened after Pannun threatens to disrupt India-England Test

Security has been tightened in the Jharkhand capital after US-based designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatened to disrupt the fourth Test match between India and England here, officials said. Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist by the home ministry, has also appealed to the banned CPI (Maoist) through a video uploaded on social media to disrupt the match, officials said. The fourth Test will commence at the JSCA International Stadium Complex here from February 23. The England team reached the city on Tuesday. "Gurupatwant Singh Pannun has threatened the India and England teams to cancel the match in Ranchi. He also urged the CPI (Maoist) to create disturbance in a bid to cancel the match. An FIR has been lodged against him at Dhurwa police station under the IT Act and investigation has been initiated," Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hatia, P K Mishra told reporters on Tuesday. Pannun has been on the National Investigation Agency's radar since 2019, when t

US judge denies Nikhil Gupta's request for defence materials in Pannun case

A US judge has denied a request for defence materials by Indian national Nikhil Gupta, charged by federal prosecutors in a murder-for-hire plot to kill a Khalistani separatist on American soil. United States District Judge Victor Marrero, in an order Thursday, denied a motion filed by Gupta's attorney seeking discovery material in the case. Gupta, 52, was charged by federal prosecutors here in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil. Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023 and is being held there currently. The US government is seeking his extradition to America. In his order, Marrero said that the Court is persuaded by the government's argument that Gupta has no right to discovery at this time. He cited Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16.1, which provides that no la

US objects to providing defence material to Nikhil Gupta in Pannun case

The US government has objected to providing defence materials to Indian national Nikhil Gupta, detained in a Czech prison on murder-for-hire charges in a foiled assassination attempt on a Khalistani extremist, saying it will provide the information only upon his appearance in a New York court and arraignment in the case. Gupta, 52, was charged by federal prosecutors here in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil. Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023 and is being held there currently. The US government is seeking his extradition to America. Gupta's attorney filed a Motion to Compel Production of Discovery' on January 4 in the US District Court, Southern District of New York requesting the Court to direct federal prosecutors to provide the defence materials relevant to

Getting calls from international numbers? Here's what Centre advises

The government has directed all the telecom service providers to block the "malicious" calls from such numbers and advised the citizens to report them to the authorities

Indian judiciary has 'no jurisdiction' in Nikhil Gupta case: Czech

India's judicial authorities have "no jurisdiction" in the case involving Nikhil Gupta, Czech justice ministry spokesperson Vladimir Repka has said, days after his family approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in the matter. Gupta, charged by the US government of involvement in a conspiracy to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil, has been in a jail in Prague since he was detained in the Czech Republic around six months ago. The US has approached the Czech government for Gupta's extradition and proceedings relating to it are underway. "Any judicial authorities of the Republic of India have no jurisdiction in the matter in question, the case is under the jurisdiction of the competent authorities of the Czech Republic," Repka said. A family member of Gupta, 52, approached the Supreme Court last week pleading for issuing direction to the Indian government to intervene in the extradition proceedings and ensure a fair trial in the case. The US federal prosecutors have

We are in era of multilateralism: PM Modi in rare interview amid Pannun row

India's commitment is to the rule of law and if someone gives information, it would look into it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Financial Times in his first comments on the US allegations relating to an Indian link over a foiled plot targeting a Sikh separatist. In an interview to the British daily, Modi said there is strong bipartisan support for strengthening of India-US relations and it is not appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic ties. "If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it," Modi said, according to FT. "If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law," he said. The US federal prosecutors have charged that one Nikhil Gupta was working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate ...

SC to hear plea of detained Indian for plot to kill Sikh separatist in US

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing for January 4, 2024 on a habeas corpus plea moved by Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of plotting an assassination attempt on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti described the matter as an "extremely sensitive issue for the Ministry of External Affairs" and told senior advocate C A Sundaram, representing Gupta, to approach a court in the Czech Republic, where his client is lodged in a jail. Sundaram told the bench that he is not pressing his habeas corpus prayer at this stage, but only seeking consular access and a direction to the Indian envoy in the European country to find out about the status of the case as his client is not being told anything. The bench asked the senior lawyer about the person who has filed the petition in the apex court, to which Sundaram said on behalf of Gupta, one of his family members has moved the plea in the capacit

Family of Indian national charged in plot to kill Pannun approaches SC

The plea, filed by Nikhil Gupta's family, seeks Indian government's intervention in extradition proceedings initiated by the US

'Rejected allegations of India's involvement in act of violence in Canada'

In calling for India's cooperation into its allegations of a potential Indian link to the killing of a Khalistani leader on its soil, Canada has not provided any "specific and relevant information" to New Delhi for it to act upon, the government informed Parliament on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said in Lok Sabha that the government has conveyed to Canada its "concerns" over activities of anti-India elements in that country and requested Ottawa to take action against such elements besides denying space to them. The government has rejected the allegations of its involvement in "any act of violence" in Canada, he said replying to a question. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive allegation of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18. India has strongly rejected the charges. "The government has rejected the allegations of the ...

Delhi Police on alert after SFJ chief Pannun threatens to attack Parliament

The Delhi Police are on alert after the US-based Khalistani supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannu released a video message threatening to "shake the very foundation of Parliament" on December 13 -- the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. A senior police officer said security has already been stepped up in and around Parliament. "No one will be allowed to disturb law and order," he said. "When Parliament is on, we remain alert. We are taking all precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident," the officer said adding that security has also been beefed up in entire Delhi. In the video, which also had a photo of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the chief of the proscribed organisation Sikhs for Justice claimed that the Narendra Modi government tried to kill him and threatened to respond on December 13. Pannu claimed that his response would shake "the very foundation of the Indian Parliament".

Pro-Khalistan separatist Pannun threatens attack on Parliament on Dec 13

In a video, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun featured a poster of Afzal Guru, who was convicted for 2001 Parliament attack, with the caption 'Delhi Banega Khalistan'

It's something we take seriously: US amid indictment of Indian national

They told us they would conduct an investigation. They have publicly announced an investigation and now we'll wait to see the results of the investigation. It's something we take very seriously

Finer acknowledged India's establishment of committee of enquiry: US

US Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer conveyed to New Delhi the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible in the probe announced by India to investigate an alleged Indian link to a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil. As Finer wrapped up his high-profile visit to India, the White House said Finer "acknowledged" India's establishment of a committee of enquiry to investigate the "lethal plotting" and underlined the need for holding accountable those responsible. "Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a committee of enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," it said in a readout while referring to his meetings in the national capital. Finer also discussed with his Indian interlocutors the plans for a post-conflict Gaza and a "pathway toward a two-state solution", it said. The senior White House official met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit .

Has the fallout from the Pannun incident really been capped?

Not really, as the turn of events looks like becoming a millstone around the govt's neck as the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on it