US thwarted plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, lodged protest with India: Report

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, November 22

The US authorities have “averted” an attempt to murder India-designated terrorist and Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, according to the UK media which claimed that the US had protested to India about the alleged conspiracy, shortly after PM Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington in June.

MEA yet to respond

• The MEA did not react to the unsourced allegations made by a London-based daily
• The report did not specify whether the conspiracy was abandoned or foiled

Besides a diplomatic demarche, the report said US federal prosecutors had filed a sealed indictment against at least one alleged perpetrator in a district court. The US Department of Justice is weighing whether to make the allegations public or wait until Canada finishes its investigation into Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder.

The report said one person charged in the indictment might have left the US but did not say whether there were others. There was no official comment from the US DoJ, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Council (NSC). The MEA did not react to the allegations made by a London-based daily. The report did not specify whether the conspiracy was abandoned or foiled. Pannu was in the news here after the National Investigation Agency booked him for asking Sikhs not to fly on Air India planes because it was “life threatening”.

In 1985, Khalistani separatists blew up an Air India plane in midair killing all 329 on board. Two ground handlers were killed after a bomb went off in another Air India plane that had landed in Japan. The US embassy here said, “We do not comment on the ongoing law enforcement matters or intelligence discussions with our partners. The official spokesperson noted that the US NSC has said “upholding the safety and security of US citizens is paramount”.

Pannu is a dual passport holder of the US and Canada. The US shared this information with some of its allies after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged an Indian connection in the killing of Nijjar. India has rejected the charge as “absurd”. Contacted by the media, Pannu wanted the US government to respond. The allegations come days after India held a two plus two ministerial with the US and a couple of months before US President Joe Biden’s expected visit to India for the Quad Leaders’ Summit.