An investigation conducted in India has revealed that unauthorized officials, not sanctioned by the government, were involved in a thwarted plan to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader in the United States, as reported by Bloomberg News on Wednesday.
According to the report, which cited unnamed senior officials, at least one individual who played a direct role in the alleged assassination attempt was previously employed by the Indian government but is no longer associated with India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing.
New Delhi has shared the findings of the investigation panel appointed by the government with U.S. authorities, as stated in the report.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond immediately to Reuters’ request for comment on the report, which further mentioned that India has not initiated any legal action against the person in question.
The U.S. is pushing for criminal prosecution of those implicated in the plot, the report highlighted. Following the foiled attempt, U.S. authorities raised concerns over potential government involvement and issued a warning to India.
In November, the U.S. Justice Department revealed that an individual associated with the Indian government was behind the failed assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada.
During the same period, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson expressed unease over the possible connection of a government official to the plot, stating that such involvement goes against government policy.
The alleged assassination conspiracy was brought to light in November, just two months after Canada made accusations suggesting Indian agents were linked to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver suburb in June. India has refuted these allegations.
(Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Editing by Richard Chang)
