A week after meeting with an Indian inquiry committee established to investigate the Pannun case, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed contentment with the recent comments.
Briefly Speaking
- Vedant Patel from the State Department emphasizes the importance of the investigation results.
- Until there is accountability, he believes that the United States will not be completely content.
- A week later, another official expressed contentment following a meeting with the Indian investigation committee, making these remarks.
The United States has expressed its desire for India to demonstrate substantial accountability in its inquiry regarding the thwarted assassination scheme involving Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, emphasized that the United States would not consider the investigation complete without substantial accountability measures being implemented.
A week after a meeting with an Indian inquiry committee to investigate the case, Patel made his comments, which followed State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller’s statement that Washington was content with the outcomes.
The Deputy Spokesperson recognized the valuable exchange of information during the meeting with the inquiry committee, highlighting that both governments were actively involved in advancing their individual investigations.
He mentioned that the Indian inquiry committee is anticipated to carry on with its investigation, and we are looking forward to witnessing additional actions stemming from the discussions held last week.
Patel declined to disclose any further details regarding the matter, citing ongoing investigations by both the US and India, emphasizing that the case is still under active scrutiny.
Last week, during a press briefing, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller revealed that according to the Indian inquiry committee, the person implicated in orchestrating the assassination attempt on American soil is no longer affiliated with the Indian government.
He added that they notified us the person mentioned in the indictment from the Justice Department is no longer working for the Indian government.
Vikram Yadav, a former R&AW officer detained in Delhi, is presently out on bail. The United States has leveled allegations against him for his alleged role in the plot to assassinate Pannun. Identified as ‘CC-1’ in the indictment by the State Department, Yadav faces serious charges.
The inquiry committee is not only delving into the thwarted assassination attempt on the Khalistani terrorist but also scrutinizing the actions of specific organized criminals.
Involvement in a conspiracy led US prosecutors to charge Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta in November 2023, along with an alleged Indian government official.
In June, Gupta was apprehended in the Czech Republic and then transferred to the United States on June 14. Once in the US, he appeared before a federal court in New York and entered a plea of not guilty to the accusations leveled against him.
Accused of soliciting murder and plotting to commit murder, he could potentially face up to a decade behind bars for each charge.
Pannun, who possesses citizenship in both the United States and Canada, is currently sought after in India for allegations related to terrorism. He has been classified as a terrorist according to the strict anti-terrorism legislation, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
India has refuted any connection to the purported assassination attempt on Pannun and has initiated a thorough investigation into the matter at a senior level.
