Page 3 - Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

Working with India to hold those behind Pannun murder plot accountable: US

The United States is working with the Indian government to hold accountable those behind a plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, according to the Biden administration. An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was charged by federal prosecutors in November last year in connection with his involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. US federal prosecutors have charged that Gupta was working with an Indian government employee and had agreed to pay an assassin USD 1,00,000 to kill Pannun, who lives in New York City. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations. During a Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, "This is a serious issue. A serious issue between the United States and India. The Department of Justice has alleged that an Indian citizen at th

Security tightened after Pannun threatens to disrupt India-England Test

Security has been tightened in the Jharkhand capital after US-based designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatened to disrupt the fourth Test match between India and England here, officials said. Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist by the home ministry, has also appealed to the banned CPI (Maoist) through a video uploaded on social media to disrupt the match, officials said. The fourth Test will commence at the JSCA International Stadium Complex here from February 23. The England team reached the city on Tuesday. "Gurupatwant Singh Pannun has threatened the India and England teams to cancel the match in Ranchi. He also urged the CPI (Maoist) to create disturbance in a bid to cancel the match. An FIR has been lodged against him at Dhurwa police station under the IT Act and investigation has been initiated," Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hatia, P K Mishra told reporters on Tuesday. Pannun has been on the National Investigation Agency's radar since 2019, when t

US judge denies Nikhil Gupta's request for defence materials in Pannun case

A US judge has denied a request for defence materials by Indian national Nikhil Gupta, charged by federal prosecutors in a murder-for-hire plot to kill a Khalistani separatist on American soil. United States District Judge Victor Marrero, in an order Thursday, denied a motion filed by Gupta's attorney seeking discovery material in the case. Gupta, 52, was charged by federal prosecutors here in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil. Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023 and is being held there currently. The US government is seeking his extradition to America. In his order, Marrero said that the Court is persuaded by the government's argument that Gupta has no right to discovery at this time. He cited Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16.1, which provides that no la

US objects to providing defence material to Nikhil Gupta in Pannun case

The US government has objected to providing defence materials to Indian national Nikhil Gupta, detained in a Czech prison on murder-for-hire charges in a foiled assassination attempt on a Khalistani extremist, saying it will provide the information only upon his appearance in a New York court and arraignment in the case. Gupta, 52, was charged by federal prosecutors here in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil. Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023 and is being held there currently. The US government is seeking his extradition to America. Gupta's attorney filed a Motion to Compel Production of Discovery' on January 4 in the US District Court, Southern District of New York requesting the Court to direct federal prosecutors to provide the defence materials relevant to

Getting calls from international numbers? Here's what Centre advises

The government has directed all the telecom service providers to block the "malicious" calls from such numbers and advised the citizens to report them to the authorities

Indian judiciary has 'no jurisdiction' in Nikhil Gupta case: Czech

India's judicial authorities have "no jurisdiction" in the case involving Nikhil Gupta, Czech justice ministry spokesperson Vladimir Repka has said, days after his family approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in the matter. Gupta, charged by the US government of involvement in a conspiracy to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil, has been in a jail in Prague since he was detained in the Czech Republic around six months ago. The US has approached the Czech government for Gupta's extradition and proceedings relating to it are underway. "Any judicial authorities of the Republic of India have no jurisdiction in the matter in question, the case is under the jurisdiction of the competent authorities of the Czech Republic," Repka said. A family member of Gupta, 52, approached the Supreme Court last week pleading for issuing direction to the Indian government to intervene in the extradition proceedings and ensure a fair trial in the case. The US federal prosecutors have

We are in era of multilateralism: PM Modi in rare interview amid Pannun row

India's commitment is to the rule of law and if someone gives information, it would look into it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Financial Times in his first comments on the US allegations relating to an Indian link over a foiled plot targeting a Sikh separatist. In an interview to the British daily, Modi said there is strong bipartisan support for strengthening of India-US relations and it is not appropriate to link a few incidents with diplomatic ties. "If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it," Modi said, according to FT. "If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law," he said. The US federal prosecutors have charged that one Nikhil Gupta was working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate ...

SC to hear plea of detained Indian for plot to kill Sikh separatist in US

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing for January 4, 2024 on a habeas corpus plea moved by Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused of plotting an assassination attempt on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S V N Bhatti described the matter as an "extremely sensitive issue for the Ministry of External Affairs" and told senior advocate C A Sundaram, representing Gupta, to approach a court in the Czech Republic, where his client is lodged in a jail. Sundaram told the bench that he is not pressing his habeas corpus prayer at this stage, but only seeking consular access and a direction to the Indian envoy in the European country to find out about the status of the case as his client is not being told anything. The bench asked the senior lawyer about the person who has filed the petition in the apex court, to which Sundaram said on behalf of Gupta, one of his family members has moved the plea in the capacit

Family of Indian national charged in plot to kill Pannun approaches SC

The plea, filed by Nikhil Gupta's family, seeks Indian government's intervention in extradition proceedings initiated by the US

'Rejected allegations of India's involvement in act of violence in Canada'

In calling for India's cooperation into its allegations of a potential Indian link to the killing of a Khalistani leader on its soil, Canada has not provided any "specific and relevant information" to New Delhi for it to act upon, the government informed Parliament on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said in Lok Sabha that the government has conveyed to Canada its "concerns" over activities of anti-India elements in that country and requested Ottawa to take action against such elements besides denying space to them. The government has rejected the allegations of its involvement in "any act of violence" in Canada, he said replying to a question. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive allegation of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18. India has strongly rejected the charges. "The government has rejected the allegations of the ...

Delhi Police on alert after SFJ chief Pannun threatens to attack Parliament

The Delhi Police are on alert after the US-based Khalistani supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannu released a video message threatening to "shake the very foundation of Parliament" on December 13 -- the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament. A senior police officer said security has already been stepped up in and around Parliament. "No one will be allowed to disturb law and order," he said. "When Parliament is on, we remain alert. We are taking all precautionary measures to prevent any untoward incident," the officer said adding that security has also been beefed up in entire Delhi. In the video, which also had a photo of the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the chief of the proscribed organisation Sikhs for Justice claimed that the Narendra Modi government tried to kill him and threatened to respond on December 13. Pannu claimed that his response would shake "the very foundation of the Indian Parliament".

Pro-Khalistan separatist Pannun threatens attack on Parliament on Dec 13

In a video, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun featured a poster of Afzal Guru, who was convicted for 2001 Parliament attack, with the caption 'Delhi Banega Khalistan'

It's something we take seriously: US amid indictment of Indian national

They told us they would conduct an investigation. They have publicly announced an investigation and now we'll wait to see the results of the investigation. It's something we take very seriously

Finer acknowledged India's establishment of committee of enquiry: US

US Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer conveyed to New Delhi the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible in the probe announced by India to investigate an alleged Indian link to a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil. As Finer wrapped up his high-profile visit to India, the White House said Finer "acknowledged" India's establishment of a committee of enquiry to investigate the "lethal plotting" and underlined the need for holding accountable those responsible. "Finer acknowledged India's establishment of a committee of enquiry to investigate lethal plotting in the United States and the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible," it said in a readout while referring to his meetings in the national capital. Finer also discussed with his Indian interlocutors the plans for a post-conflict Gaza and a "pathway toward a two-state solution", it said. The senior White House official met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit .

Has the fallout from the Pannun incident really been capped?

Not really, as the turn of events looks like becoming a millstone around the govt's neck as the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on it

Mission Punjab, not Pannun

There is a need to focus back on Punjab. Working with credible political forces there, even adversaries, would serve the national interest better than fighting in the courtrooms of New York

US praises India setting up probe on alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist

The White House on Thursday praised New Delhi for setting up its own investigations on the US allegations that an Indian official was involved in a plot to kill separatist Sikh leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The unnamed Indian official appeared in an indictment filed by federal prosecutors in a Manhattan court on Wednesday along with an Indian national, who the Department of Justice alleges hired someone in the US to assassinate Pannun, a vocal critic of India and espousing the cause of a separate Khalistan. "These allegations in this investigation, (we) take it very seriously. And we're glad to see that the Indians are too by announcing their own efforts to investigate this. And we've been clear that we want to see anybody that's responsible for these alleged crimes to be held properly accountable," John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, told reporters at a news conference here. However, this will not have an impac

US charges Indian national in plot to kill Sikh separatist in New York

An Indian national was on Wednesday charged here by federal prosecutors in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on American soil. Nikhil Gupta, 52, has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Matthew G. Olsen said. US authorities said Gupta agreed to pay an assassin USD 100,000 to kill the Sikh separatist leader living in New York City. "On or about June 9, 2023, CC-1 and GUPTA arranged for an associate to deliver USD 15,000 in cash to the UC in Manhattan, New York, as an advance payment for the murder," according to the charges. The indictment has not named the US citizen but The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, last week reported that US authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate banned Sikhs for Justice's Gurpatwant Singh Pannun,

US sent officials to India to 'press for probe into plot to kill Pannun'

The US sent its two top intelligence officials to India to press for an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on American soil earlier this year and hold to account those responsible, an influential American media outlet reported on Wednesday, citing senior administration officials. According to The Washington Post, federal prosecutors are expected to file a superseding indictment against an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, in a New York court on Wednesday regarding murder-for-hire plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a separatist Khalistani leader who is both a US and Canadian citizen. The report came on a day when India said that it has constituted a high-level enquiry committee to probe allegations relating to a conspiracy to kill the Sikh extremist on American soil. The United States has discovered a plot to assassinate a separatist Sikh leader on the US soil, the Post reported. It added that the issue has been raised by top leadership ...

TMS Ep571: Local job quotas, Gaza, China, exchange-related stocks, Pannun

Are local job quotas the right way to go? What is Shyam Saran's view on Gaza, China and South Asia? Is it time to exit exchange-related stocks? Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun?