An American court has summoned the Indian government on Tuesday in the case of conspiracy to kill Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. The names of India's NSA Ajit Doval, former RAW chief Samant Goyal, RAW agent Vikram Yadav and businessman Nikhil Gupta are also included in the summons.
The American court has asked to respond to this summons within 21 days. Pannu filed a case in the US District Court regarding the conspiracy to kill him. Last year, the US alleged that Pannu was plotting a deadly attack in New York. India had a hand in this. This conspiracy was thwarted.
In response to the summons, the Ministry of External Affairs said during a press conference on Thursday that the summons is completely false. Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry said that when this matter came to our notice, we took action. A high level committee has also been constituted in this matter.
The US government sought a response in June On June 26, the US demanded responsibility from India for the attempted assassination of Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. US Government Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that we have raised this issue directly with the Indian government. A report was also sought from the inquiry committee. In fact, Indian national Nikhil Gupta was arrested by the Czech Republic police on June 30, 2023 for conspiring to kill Pannu. Nikhil was extradited to the US on 14 June 2024.
According to American agencies, this planning was done during PM Modi's visit to America. However, this information was given on 22 November.
On 29 November 2023, a New York police chargesheet came out in the case of conspiracy to murder Pannu.
83 lakh rupees were paid to kill Pannu The chargesheet has accused Indian national Nikhil Gupta of conspiring to kill Pannu. It reads – A former CRPF officer in India asked him to plan Pannu's murder. Nikhil made a deal with a person to pay 83 lakh rupees in return for work.
After this, in April this year American media Washington Post in its report claimed that RAW was behind the conspiracy to kill Pannu. According to the report, the entire planning of Pannu's murder was done by senior RAW officer Vikram Yadav. He hired a hit team.
Yadav sent information about Pannu to Indian agent Nikhil Gupta, revealing that he was in New York. Nikhil Gupta then contacts an agent to kill Pannu. However, Nikhil Gupta was arrested before the planning could succeed.
News agency Reuters published this sketch of Nikhil's courtroom.
When, what happened in Pannu case, complete timeline as per charge sheet…
- May 2023: According to the US prosecutor, an Indian official (Vikram Yadav) hired Nikhil Gupta.
- 29 May: Nikhil Gupta starts searching for the person who can kill Pannu. However, the person hired to kill Pannu turns out to be an American undercover agent. For a few weeks, Nikhil Gupta discussed with this undercover agent the method and cost of Pannu's murder.
- June 9: Gupta sent 15 thousand dollars (Rs 12 lakh 49 thousand) cash through a person to the hitman hired to kill Pannu. This was an advance payment for the murder.
- June 11: Indian officials told Gupta that Pannu could be killed now. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited America in June. Gupta also said on the phone that if nothing can be done for 10 days, demonstrations will start.
- June 12 to June 14: Gupta told his partner over the phone about a big target in Canada. He said he would share his details later.
- June 18: Some people killed terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. A few months later Canada accused India of the murder.
- June 19: Gupta sent the video of Nijjar's killing to the hitman hired to kill Pannu in America. He wrote – This is good news, no need to wait now.
- June 24 to June 29: The Guptas go ahead with the plan to kill Pannu. Started monitoring Pannu.
- June 30: Gupta was detained in the Czech Republic at the behest of the US.
Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannu?
- Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is originally from Khankot, Punjab. He currently lives in America and runs an organization called Sikhs for Justice. He holds citizenship of both the US and Canada.
- In 2019, the Indian government banned Pannu's outfit SFJ under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, or UAPA, on charges of carrying out terrorist activities. SFJ was supporting separatism and extremist ideology in Punjab under the guise of Sikh referendum.
- In 2020, Pannu was accused of promoting separatism and encouraging Punjabi Sikh youth to take up arms. Following this, on July 1, 2020, the central government declared Pannu a terrorist under the UAPA. According to media reports, this was the main target of the conspiracy. However, this is not mentioned in the American charge sheet.
Pannu is an American and Canadian citizen. He organizes demonstrations in support of Khalistan from Canada and provides financial support to Khalistan supporters in India. In the photo, Sikhs living in Canada are protesting against India in Canada.
How did this matter come between the governments? According to a news in Indian Express, the case was a conspiracy to kill an American citizen. An officer sitting in India was accused of conspiring to murder. For this reason, the American officials told this to their superiors. The issue was first raised before India in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on August 5-6. When the meeting was being held on the Russia-Ukraine issue.
At that time American NSA Jack Sullivan spoke separately to Indian NSA Ajit Doval about the assassination plot. Doval clearly told Sullivan that things would not work that way. India can investigate this only when there is evidence and details. If not all of this is nonsense.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
