US charges Indian national with conspiracy to murder SFJ founder Gurpatwant Pannun

The United States has charged an Indian national with conspiring to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice, who is a US citizen and has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government. The US attorney’s office Wednesday announced the arrest of Nikhil Gupta by Czech authorities in June and is currently awaiting extradition. While India is closely monitoring Gupta’s case, News18 cited sources as saying that it is inaccurate to assert that Indian agencies tasked him with the mission to kill Pannun. The US, which is putting pressure on the Czech Republic to extradite Gupta, is likely to be successful but Indian authorities said the country does not have any evidence against him as he is not involved in any way. The two countries are in constant touch to avoid any bad relationship and, if needed, all assistance will be given to Gupta, sources said. Pannun is a “vocal critic of the Indian government who leads a US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of India’s Punjab state, which is home to a large population of Sikhs,” according to the prosecutors, who did not name him. In India, the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) organisation is prohibited. Meanwhile, news agency Reuters quoted officials as claiming that while India is keeping a close eye on Gupta’s case, it is inaccurate to claim that Indian agents assigned him the mission of killing Pannun. The US is probably going to succeed in its efforts to force the Czech Republic to extradite Gupta; however, Indian authorities have stated that they do not have any evidence against him because he is not connected in any manner. According to officials quoted by Reuters, the two nations stay in close communication to prevent strained relations, and Gupta will receive all necessary support if needed. The accusations follow a senior Biden administration official’s statement last week that US agents had foiled a plan to murder a Sikh separatist on US soil and that New Delhi was involved, warning India in the process. The official had stated that the plot’s aim was Pannun. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing senior administration officials, that the US has dispatched its two top intelligence officers to India to demand an inquiry into an alleged conspiracy to kill the leader of the Sikh separatist movement and bring those guilty to justice. The two officials are Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and Director of the CIA William J. Burns, according to the story. (With agency inputs)