The center has reacted strongly to the US court issuing summons to the government and senior officials in connection with the assassination attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of the pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “As we have said at the beginning, these allegations are baseless and without evidence. Since this case has been filed, it does not change our views about the underlying situation. We invite your attention to the person who holds this case and whose antecedents are known.”
“I will emphasize again that this organization that this person is said to represent is an illegal organization, it has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and this was done because of its involvement in fighting the country. and acts of subversion aimed at disrupting India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
Earlier, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York named the Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, in the summons. Two persons Nikhil Gupta and Vikram Yadav, accused in the murder case, have also been issued summons.
Nikhil Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of involvement in the conspiracy to kill Pannun in New York. He was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic in June of this year.
In April 2024, the Washington Post reported that Vikram Yadav, the head of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), was implicated as an official in the plot. The report also revealed that then R&AW chief Samant Goel approved the project.
I The Centre, however, dismissed the reportsaying it makes “baseless and unsubstantiated allegations” to say that Indian diplomats were involved in the plot to kill Pannun.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has dual citizenship of the US and Canada, and is wanted in India on terrorism charges. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union Home Minister under the stringent anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.