US Claims To Have Thwarted India's Plan To Kill Khalistani Terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun; MEA Responds

The United States has claimed to have thwarted the assasination plot of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on its soil. According to several media reports, the US authorities not only thwarted the conspiracy to kill Pannun but also issued a warning to India over concerns about New Delhi's involvement in the plot. The Ministry of External Affairs of India released a statement tonight reacting to media queries related to the reports related to US claims.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a Khalistani terrorist and chief of Sikh For Justice. He recently issued threats to hijack an Air India plane and bomb blast during the India-Australia final in Ahmedabad. The NIA has already registered several cases against him. Pannun is an American and Canadian citizen.

However, it's not clear whether the FBI intervened to foil the plot or any arrests have been made in the case or not. However, according to reports, the US informed some of its allies about the plot after the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistani terrorist who was killed in Canada. Earlier in September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged an Indian hand behind Nijjar's killing but did not provide any evidence so far. India had rejected Canada's claim.

According to the reports, the US lodged its protest with India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile state visit to Washington in June. The reports also claimed that US federal prosecutors filed a sealed indictment against at least one alleged perpetrator but the sealed indictment is yet to be opened due to Canada's pending probe in the Nijjar murder case. The reports also said that one person indicted has already left the US. Pannun told the Financial Times that he would let the United States respond to the issue of threats to his life on American soil from the Indian operatives. 

Responding to the report, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "During the course of recent discussions on India-US security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others. The inputs are a cause of concern for both countries and they decided to take necessary follow up action. On its part, India takes such inputs seriously since it impinges on our own national security interests as well. Issues in the context of US inputs are already being examined by relevant departments."