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U.S. linking Indian govt official in foiled assassination case a ‘matter of concern’: MEA

Nikhil Gupta was charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.

Arindam Bagchi / Image - YouTube/MEA India

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the supposed link between an indicted individual in the U.S. and an Indian government official in the foiled assassination plot of Khalistani-supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in America, as alleged in filings by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), is a “matter of concern.”

US officials have unsealed an indictment against Indian national Nikhil Gupta for murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charges. The indictment also claimed that Gupta was acting under the instructions of an unnamed Indian government official.

MEA’s official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi provided insight on where India stands in light of these allegations, on November 30 at a press briefing. “As regards the case against the individual that has been filed in a U.S. court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said and let me reiterate, this is contrary to government policy.”

“The nexus between organized crime, trafficking, gun running, extremists at an international level is a serious issue for law enforcement, agencies, and organizations to consider and it is precisely for that reason that a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted and we will obviously be guided by these results.”

On November 29, Bagchi had announced that an inquiry committee has been put together to examine the allegations after “the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists, and others.” He told reporters that “India takes such inputs seriously” and “relevant departments were already examining the issue.”

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