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

US resident Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of Sikhs for Justice, has been prosecuted by the US with planning to kill Sikhs. The Indian government has also designated Pannun as a terrorist. Nikhil Gupta was detained by Czech officials in June, according to the US attorney’s office, and he is currently awaiting extradition.

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)