‘He will not be fully satisfied until there is significant accountability’: US on Pannun assassination plot

The United States said on Wednesday there was “valuable engagement” with India’s commission of inquiry last week into the alleged assassination attempt Khalistani terrorist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. However, Washington also added that it will not be “fully satisfied” until there is “significant accountability” from the investigation.
The meeting, held last week, saw an exchange of information between the two nations as part of their ongoing investigations into the incident.
US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, while addressing a media briefing, emphasized the importance of accountability in the ongoing investigation. “Last week there was a valuable engagement with India’s committee of inquiry and information was exchanged between our two governments to further our respective investigations. We understand that India’s committee of inquiry will continue their investigation and we hope to see further steps based on the conversations of the past week,” he said.
“We continue to wait and want to see accountability based on the results of this investigation, and certainly the United States will not be fully satisfied until there is meaningful accountability as a result of this investigation.”
The investigation concerns the alleged involvement of a former Indian government official in a foiled assassination plot against Pannun, who is designated a terrorist by India but holds US and Canadian citizenship. The US Department of Justice he had previously unsealed an indictment against Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national allegedly involved in the plot. Gupta, who was extradited from the Czech Republic in June 2023, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The US State Department confirmed that the person named in the indictment no longer holds a position within the Indian government. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said earlier that both governments updated each other on their respective investigations during the meeting and described the cooperation between the two sides as constructive.
“We have received updates from them on the investigations they have been conducting. They also informed us that the individual named in the Department of Justice indictment is no longer employed by the Indian government,” Miller had said, adding that the investigation is still ongoing. but the US appreciates India’s cooperation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the official named in the indictment is no longer employed. Spokesman Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that India is taking the matter seriously and continues to monitor the situation closely.