New Delhi:

New Delhi has spelt out the “seriousness” of the ongoing investigation against Pro-Khalistan separatist group “Sikhs For Justice” ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to the US. The group’s founder, US-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has 104 cases registered against him across India.

“As many as 96 cases have been registered against SFJ in Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Assam. The remaining eight are being probed by National Investigating Agency,” reads a gazette published by the government. It added that the Delhi High Court tribunal has confirmed the ban on SFJ for five years.

Government data indicates that the maximum number of cases against SFJ are registered in Punjab (55) followed by Delhi and Haryana (13 each).

The government has listed a slew of subversive activities carried out by the group that include threats to PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and NSA Ajit Doval.

“Pannun is reported to have raised substantial funds for commission of terrorist acts and killings of important leaders, public figures and functionaries to overawe the government and the Indian public at large and intends to use the same for commission of terrorist acts for the ultimate objective of creation of Khalistan,” reveals investigation by Indian agencies, an official said. 

The government has said the group claims to have prepared a list of children of police officers and politicians who are studying abroad. They are to be used as bargaining chips if its activists are tortured, the government has said.

Photographs of Indian diplomats — including that of Ambassador Vikram Duraiswami, former Ambassador Tranajit Singh Sandhu and several other diplomats — were circulated by SFJ last year, making them vulnerable. 

Last month, India took up the issue of latest threat issued by SFJ to Indian ambassador Vinay Kwatra.

The Delhi High Court tribunal of Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta was formed on August 2 last year for taking a call on whether there is sufficient cause to extend the declaration of SFJ as an unlawful association. On January 3, the tribunal confirmed the extension of the ban for another five years with effect from July 10, 2024.

The government has told the tribunal that the activities of SFJ have been found to be in close association with other separatists, terrorists and radical elements within the country. It continues to support the ideology of secession, violent forms of extremism and militancy in Punjab to carve out a so-called state of ‘Khalistan’ out of the territory of India, the tribunal has been told.

“In pursuit, the SFJ has been extending threats even to constitutional functionaries like Prime Minister of India, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar), chief ministers of states, NSA, R&AW chief,” the government submitted, adding that even during pendency of proceedings before the tribunal, the SFJ targeted former Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma, alleging his involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

A reward of $ 5,00,000 was offered to anyone who can track Mr Verma’s movements in India. The group is also filing baseless court cases against visiting Indian dignitaries abroad (Europe, Canada and USA) to defame them, the government told the tribunal.

Prayagraj:

 The Akhada Parishad hit out at Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for trying to instigate division between communities after he allegedly issued a threat to target the Maha Kumbh in a video.

Following the death of three Khalistani Zindabad Force militants in an encounter with the UP and Punjab police in Pilibhit on Monday, a video threatening to disrupt the key bathing dates of the Magh Mela on — January 14 (Makar Sankranti), January 29 (Mauni Amavasya), and February 3 (Basant Panchami) — surfaced on social media, with the voice in the video being attributed to Khalistan supporter Pannun.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is the chief of banned outfit Sikhs For Justice and has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government.

Addressing the media in Mahakumbh Nagar, Mahant Ravindra Puri, the president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, said, “If this person named Pannun dares to enter our Maha Kumbh, he will be beaten and driven out. We have seen hundreds of such lunatics.” “This is the Magh Mela, where Sikhs and Hindus are united. Pannun’s attempts to instigate division are uncalled for. It is the Sikh community that has kept our Sanatan tradition alive. They have safeguarded Sanatan Dharma,” he said.

Pointing to the shared spiritual ties between Hindu and Sikh communities, the Akhada Parishad president said, “We have Naga sadhus in both our religions, and we are all soldiers of Sanatan Dharma. That’s why we do not take such delusional threats seriously.” He also highlighted that Pannun’s inflammatory language has always been aimed at sowing division and targeting Sanatan Dharma. “We should not give too much importance to Pannun’s statements, as his goal has always been to create unrest and attack the very fabric of our traditions,” he said.

Mahant Ravindra Puri also pointed out that three of the prominent ‘akhadas’ — Bada Udasin Akhada, Naya Udasin Akhada, and Nirmal Akhada — are based in Punjab and are home to revered saints. “Thus, we do not take such extremists seriously,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Centre has informed the Parliament that Canada has presented “no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations” claiming that Indian citizens were involved in crimes committed in the country.

Congress MP Manish Tewari today asked the government in the Lok Sabha, whether it has taken note of the development in the US and Canada over alleged criminal activity involving Indians, to which Minister of State in the External Affairs Ministry, Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “Government is aware of the allegations about the involvement of Indian nationals in purported acts or intent in the US and Canada.”

“As part of ongoing security cooperation with the United States, certain inputs shared by the US side pertaining to the nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others that impinge on India’s national security interests as well are being examined by a High-Level Enquiry Committee that has been constituted for this purpose,” he added.

“In so far as Canada is concerned, it has presented no evidence whatsoever in support of the serious allegations it has chosen to level,” the minister informed the Parliament.

Mr Tiwari further asked the Centre, about the impact of these allegations on our bilateral relations with the US and Canada; whether the government engaged with the countries diplomatically and the measures taken by the Centre to ensure the safety and security of Indian citizens in the countries in case of “of any potential fallout of these matters”.

Mr Singh in his response said, “In addition, its public narrative on this issue appears to be in service of an anti-India separatist agenda. Persisting with such a narrative can only be harmful for any stable bilateral relationship. Government have therefore repeatedly urged the Canadian authorities to take action against anti-India elements operating from their soil.”

“The welfare, safety and security of Indian nationals who are living, working and studying in the US and Canada remains of utmost importance to the Government of India. Issues faced by Indian nationals in the US and Canada are brought to the attention of relevant authorities, whenever they arise, for swift redressal,” he added.

India’s relations with Canada deteriorated after Justin Trudeau made allegations that Indian agents could be involved in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing, leading to strong resistance from New Delhi and the expelling of diplomats from both sides.

Meanwhile, the US alleged that Vikash Yadav, also known as Vikas Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer once associated with the Research and Analysis Wing, or R&AW – was the shadowy central figure in a failed plot to kill Gurpatwant Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist and founder of the banned Sikhs For Justice.

The purported plot involved another Indian, Nikhil Gupta, who was extradited from Czechia to the US in June.
 

New Delhi:

The Indian government is “not aware” of any specific threat against Air India and its passengers, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Monday evening at the NDTV World Summit.

Mr Jaishankar’s remark came hours after Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun – whom the United States believes was the subject of a murder-for-hire plot involving ex-Indian spy Vikas Yadav – released a video statement online warning people not to fly Air India between November 1 and 19.

The threat follows a worrying flood of bomb threats against Indian passenger jets, including those operated by Air India and Air India Xpress; over 100 such threats have been made in the past week.

“I am not aware of any specific threat today… but we have seen threats, in the past, to our airlines, to our Parliament, to our diplomats and High Commissions, and our leaders,” Mr Jaishankar said.

“And all that is a source of concern…” he said.

Jaishankar Jabs Canada

Mr Jaishankar may have sidestepped the question on the threat, but took the opportunity to take more sharp digs at the Canadian government amid a tense diplomatic stand-off over the killing of another Khalistani terrorist – Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen – in Vancouver in June last year.

READ | Nijjar Killing, Bishnoi Gang, Trade Talks: How India-Canada Relations Soured

“These threats are cleverly worded… they (the Canadian government) calls this ‘freedom of speech’. But my question to them is – if you receive these threats would you take them lightly?”

“If it was your airline being threatened, your Parliament, your diplomats… this is exactly the kind of problem with which we started this conversation,” Mr Jaishankar told NDTV.

Earlier in the interview with NDTV’s Sanjay Pugalia, he also spoke of ‘double standards’ in the way Canada treats Indian diplomats and the ‘license’ their officials allowed themselves while in India.

READ | “Difficult To Imagine Current State…”: S Jaishankar On Canada Ties

The Indian government has been fiercely critical of its Canadian counterpart giving space – physical and political – to individuals it considers terrorists with designs against India’s sovereignty.

READ | “Political Agenda Of Trudeau Govt”: India Slams Canada On Nijjar Killing

Last week – after Canadian federal police claimed top Indian diplomats in that country were working with organised criminal gangs, such as the Lawrence Bishnoi outfit – Delhi pointed out Ottawa had “consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats”. This, Delhi complained, had been “justified in the name of freedom of speech”.

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New Delhi:

The United States this week named Vikash Yadav, a former Indian intelligence officer once associated with the Research and Analysis Wing, or R&AW – as the shadowy central figure in a failed plot to kill Gurpatwant Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist and founder of the banned Sikhs For Justice.

Pannun is a resident of New York and holds dual American and Canadian citizenship.

Vikash Yadav, 39, – known so far only as ‘CC-1’ in the indictment filed in a New York court – is in India at this time, but US officials are expected to pursue his extradition in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy involving a second Indian citizen – Nikhil Gupta.

Gupta, 53, was extradited from Czechia to the US in June.

Yadav and Gupta face charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and could be jailed for 40 years if convicted.

READ | Ex Indian Spy Charged In US Over Plot To Kill Khalistani Terroristt

India has confirmed Yadav is an ex-employee of its premier spy agency.

The third member of this alleged conspiracy was the ‘hitman’ – allegedly contacted by Gupta on instructions from Yadav – who turned out to be an undercover American federal agent.

Gurpatwant Pannun Murder Plot Latest

Yadav’s identity was made public Thursday after the US Justice Department unsealed a second indictment – the first named Gupta – in the Pannun murder-for-hire plot.

Vikash Yadav remains “at large”, the Justice Department said, accusing the two men of “conspiring to assassinate an American citizen of Indian origin on US soil”.

India has said Yadav – who also claims to have served in the Central Reserve Police Force – is no longer a government employee, after which State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters the prosecutors are “satisfied” with New Delhi’s cooperation.

Vikash Yadav, Gurpatwant Pannun Murder-For-Hire Conspirator

US prosecutors believe Yadav recruited Gupta in May last year.

According to the unsealed indictment Vikash Yadav – “during times relevant (to these charges)” – was, in fact, was “employed by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses Indian’s foreign intelligence service (i.e., RAW)”.

The indictment has Yadav describing his position as a “senior field officer” responsible for “security management” and “intelligence”. Apart from claiming to have served in the CRPF – which Delhi has not confirmed – Yadav also claimed to have been trained in “battle craft”.

The document also includes a photograph of Mr Yadav in military attire.

It also includes a photo two people exchanging money – American dollars – in a car. The photo was reportedly taken in New York and shows, prosecutors claim, money being paid to the ‘hitman’ by an as yet unknown man acting on behalf of Nikhil Gupta and Vikash Yadav.

Gurpatwant Pannun Murder Conspiracy Details

The prosecution claims possession of communications between Yadav and Gupta, in which the former demands the latter plan and execute the killing of Gurpatwant Pannun. In return, Gupta was told criminal charges against him, filed in a Gujarat court, would be dropped.

As part of this murder-for-hire conspiracy the prosecution also claims Yadav and Gupta contacted the ‘hitman’ – the undercover federal agent – to carry out the hit for $100,000.

An advance of $15,000 was paid in June last year, days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States and shortly before another Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada’s Vancouver.

Nijjar’s killing is the subject of a Canadian federal investigation and became the source of a bitter diplomatic row between Ottawa and New Delhi after Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comment about “agents of the Indian government” being involved in the murder.

India denounced the claim – coming as Mr Trudeau’s popularity tanks before a general election – as “absurd”, “preposterous”, and “malicious”, and claimed vindication this week after the Canadian leader admitted he had no hard evidence to back his claim.

Gurpatwant Pannun Murder-For-Hire Plot

The attempted killing was to take place in June.

US officials believe Yadav provided Gupta with details about Pannun, including his New York address and daily schedule. This was passed on to the ‘hitman’.

However, Gupta told the ‘hitman’ to not act during or immediately after Mr Modi’s visit.

According to the indictment, the plan changed after Nijjar was shot dead on June 18 – two days before Prime Minister Modi’s visit. The following day Gupta allegedly told the ‘hitman’ not to wait; US officials claim he said “Nijjar was also a target… we have so many…:

On June 20 he reportedly told the ‘hitman’ “it is a priority now”.

The Nikhil Gupta Case

The storm broke in November last year after the US charged Gupta and Yadav; the latter was then referred to only as CC-1 amid uncertainty over links to the Indian government.

Gupta – in US custody now – claimed involvement with an international drug syndicate and weapons trafficking in his communications with Yadav, according to the indictment.

READ | Who Is Nikhil Gupta, Man Charged In Failed Plot To Kill Khalistan Terrorist

He was in Czechia at the time and was detained by authorities there till his extradition this year. While in Czech custody Gupta moved the Supreme Court in India – via a family member identified only as Mr X.

He claimed multiple violations of fundamental rights, including threats to himself and his family, and requested the Indian government to intervene.

READ | “Approach Czech Court”: Supreme Court On Indian Arrested In US Murder Plot

The Supreme Court said the matter did not lie in its jurisdiction and directed Gupta to seek relief from courts in Prague, but also told the External Affairs Ministry to do what it could.

The court noted it could only intervene to ensure consular access and that this had already been supplied, according to the petitioner’s own statement.

READ | “Made To Eat Beef,” Claims Family Of Indian Arrested In US Murder Plot

At present Gupta is being held at a detention centre in Brooklyn in New York.

Gupta’s lawyers have argued he was caught in ‘crossfire’ between the two governments.

Indian Government On Pannun Murder Plot

As soon as charges were filed India responded, firmly distancing itself from any murder-for-hire bid to kill an American citizen on foreign soil. The External Affairs Ministry said Delhi “takes such inputs seriously… and relevant departments are already examining the issue”.

In December Mr Modi made his first public statement, asserting that though the allegations were serious “a few incidents” could not derail ties between the two countries.

READ | PM Modi Breaks Silence On US’ Sikh Murder Plot Claim

“If someone gives us any information, we will definitely look into it,” the Prime Minister told the Financial Times, “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.”

Pannun Civil Suit Summons

The Indian government has, however, reacted strongly to a ‘summons’ by a US court in connection with a civil suit filed by Pannun, in which he claims a plot to kill him.

Apart from Yadav, Gupta, and the Government of India, the US District Court for the Southern District of New York also named National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and former RAW chief Samant Goel. This was in September. A reply was sought within 21 days.

India slammed the ‘summons’ as “completely unwarranted”.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

The United States has charged a former Indian intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav, for allegedly orchestrating a failed plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun residing in New York City. 

Mr Yadav, previously associated with the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), is accused of coordinating an assassination attempt on Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen. The US Justice Department has charged him with murder-for-hire and money laundering. 

“The FBI will not tolerate acts of violence or other efforts to retaliate against those residing in the U.S. for exercising their constitutionally protected rights,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

The plot allegedly began in May 2023, with Mr Yadav, then reportedly an employee of the Indian government, allegedly collaborating with individuals in India and overseas to execute the assassination. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the intended target, is a designated terrorist in India and an advocate for Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland to be carved out of India.

According to Reuters, Mr Yadav, 39, remains in India, but American officials are expected to pursue his extradition to face charges in the US.

Plot Details

Mr Yadav is accused of recruiting an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, to execute the assassination. Mr Gupta was arrested in Prague last June, after travelling from India, and subsequently extradited to the US, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment describes how Mr Yadav hired Mr Gupta to “orchestrate the assassination of the victim in the United States.”

US authorities argue that Mr Gupta felt there was urgency in killing Pannun, particularly after the murder of another Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada in 2023. According to the indictment, Mr Gupta believed that after Nijjar’s killing, there was “now no need to wait” for Pannun’s assassination. 

According to the indictment, Mr Yadav and Mr Gupta allegedly contracted an individual to carry out the killing for $100,000. The FBI later discovered that the hired assassin was, in fact, an FBI informant working undercover. In June 2023, just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, the informant received a $15,000 advance for the murder from Mr Yadav and Mr Gupta. The transaction reportedly took place in a car in New York, and a photograph of the exchange has been included in the indictment.

The indictment also includes a photograph of Mr Yadav in military attire. The prosecutors allege that Mr Yadav instructed Mr Gupta and the hired assassin to delay the killing until after PM Modi’s visit to avoid diplomatic fallout during the high-profile event.

“A few minutes later, Yadav messaged Gupta, instructing: ‘Let them also verify by their own… if they are able to get some proof that he is inside… it will be a go ahead from us,'” the indictment reads. 

‘Completely Unwarranted’

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) yesterday confirmed that the “individual” named in the US Justice Department’s indictment is no longer associated with the Indian government.

“The US State Department informed us that the individual in the Justice Department indictment is no longer employed by India. I confirm that he is no longer an employee of the Government of India,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. 

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller yesterday confirmed that the Indian delegation had met with an inter-agency team from the FBI, Department of Justice, and the State Department. “We are satisfied with the cooperation,” Mr Miller told reporters. “It continues to be an ongoing process. We continue to work with them on that, but we do appreciate the cooperation, and we appreciate them updating us on their investigation as we update them on ours.”

In September this year, a US court issued a summons to the Indian government over Pannun’s civil suit, alleging a plot to murder him. The Indian government labelled the summons “completely unwarranted”. 

The summons had named Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, along with Mr Yadav and Mr Gupta and sought a reply within 21 days.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said, “When these issues were first brought to our attention, we took action. There’s a high-level committee engaged (in this matter). I invite your attention to the person who filed this.” 

File picture of U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller
| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

An Indian ‘Committee of Enquiry’ into an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in New York has informed the U.S. government that the Indian government employee named in the underlying Department of Justice (DoJ) indictment, is no longer employed by the government.

Also Read: Will R&AW’s overseas operations affect ties? | Explained 

“They did inform us that the individual who was named in the Justice Department indictment is no longer an employee of the Indian government,” the State Department’s spokesperson Matt Miller said at a briefing in Washington on Wednesday. 

Mr. Miller was referring to an individual identified as ‘CC-1’ in the November 2023 indictment. Sikhs for Justice chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is an India-designated terrorist and prominent voice in the U.S. for a separate Sikh homeland ‘Khalistan’, was the target in the alleged plot.

CC-1 directed the plot, the indictment says, in coordination with others, including a Nikhil Gupta. Mr. Gupta is currently in a detention facility in Brooklyn, following his extradition from the Czech Republic following his arrest there in June 2023.

Asked if the U.S. was satisfied with India’s cooperation in the investigation, Mr. Miller answered in the affirmative.

“We are satisfied with the cooperation. It continues to be an ongoing process,” he said.

On Tuesday, Mr. Miller had suggested that rather than cooperate with Canadian authorities who are investigating Indian government involvement in violence against Khalistani separatists in Canada, New Delhi had chosen an “alternative path”.

Canada and the U.S., allies and members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group, have been speaking with each other about the investigations, both governments have confirmed.

“The similarity between the U.S. and the Canadian case is also the fact that in both cases it is difficult to get the cooperation from the Government of India, notwithstanding the processes that are in place with the Americans,” Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly had said at a press briefing in Ottawa on Monday.

Washington:

The White House today met with a group of Sikhs who are sympathisers for the Khalistan movement hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to land in the United States for a three-day official visit. The White House assured them “protection from any transnational aggression on its soil”.

The White House said it is committed to “protecting American Citizens” from harm while they are within the borders of the United States.

This development comes amid concerns that Canada and the US are giving shelter and asylum to Khalistani separatists.

Groups aligned to the Khalistan separatist movement are banned in India and several of these organisations have carried out terrorist activities in the last few decades.

While the US has not made any official comment on “giving shelter” to such elements, Canada had called it their “freedom of speech”.

In response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said, “India respects and practices freedom of speech, but freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom to support separatism. It does not equate with freedom to threaten foreign diplomats or allow political space to elements advocating violence.”

“In any rule-based society, you would imagine that you would check people’s background, how they came, what passports they carried etc,” he had said.

“If you have people whose presence there was itself on very dubious documents, what does it say about you? It actually says that your vote-bank actually is more powerful than your rule of law,” Mr Jaishankar had said.

THE WHITE HOUSE MEETING

The meeting at White House took place hours before PM Modi was to land in the US to attend the Quad summit in Delaware and to address the ‘Summit of the Future’ event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The meeting was held within the official White House complex and was attended by Pritpal Singh of the American Sikh Caucus Committee and representatives from the Sikh Coalition and Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF).

“Yesterday we had the chance to thank senior federal government officials for saving the lives of Sikh Americans and for vigilance in protecting our community. We asked them to do more, and we will hold them to their assurances that they will,” Pritpal Singh, founder of the American Sikh Caucus Committee told Press Trust of India.

In a social media post on X, Pritpal Singh thanked the US officials for their vigilance in protecting Sikh Americans.”

“We will hold them to their assurances to do more to safeguard our community. Freedom and justice must prevail,” he said.

This is the first time that the US National Security Council has held a meeting with Sikh separatists. No other details of the meeting are available yet.

What comes as a surprise is that the meeting was initiated by the White House.

US BRINGS NEW BILL

Earlier this week, US Congressman Adam Schiff introduced the ‘Transnational Repression Reporting Act 2024’ which requires the Attorney General, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to report cases of transnational repression against people in the United States.

“Through this bill, Congress sends a strong message to both allies and adversaries that violating the constitutional rights of Americans will not be tolerated,” Sikh group SALDEF which has openly supported Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and has blamed India for his killing.

LAWSUIT AGAINST INDIA AND NSA AJIT DOVAL

This week Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is taking shelter in the United States, had also filed a civil lawsuit against the Government of India and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval after which the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued summons in the case.

The summons names Government of India, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and an Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been charged by federal prosecutors in an indictment unsealed in November 2023 for allegedly “working with an Indian government employee” in the foiled plot to kill terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The summons sought a reply within 21 days.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has called it a “completely unwarranted case”, adding that “I invite your attention to the person who filed this.” He further said that Pannun’s “antecedent is well-known” and that he is from an unlawful organisation.

Pannun heads the radical Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and is known to put out incendiary speeches and threats against Indian leaders and institutions. New Delhi designated him a terrorist in 2020.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has told NDTV that this matter will not affect India-US ties.

WHO IS GURPATWANT SINGH PANNUN

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a designated Khalistani terrorist. He was born and raised in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar.

Pannun has claimed responsibility for several terror incidents in India. In April 2023, in a video shared on social media, he openly threatened to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Assam.

He founded the Khalistan separatist group SFJ in 2007. India banned the SFJ in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA for its anti-India activities. In 2020, Pannun was designated a terrorist.

Pannun holds a dual citizenship of the United States as well as Canada and is currently in the US. His banned separatist organisation operates out of New York.
 

Washington:

The White House today met with a group of Sikhs who are sympathisers for the Khalistan movement This is the first time ever that they have officially engaged with such groups. The White House has also assured them “protection from any transnational aggression on its soil”.

The White House said it is committed to “protecting American Citizens” from harm while they are within the borders of the United States.

This development comes amid concerns that Canada and the US are giving shelter and asylum to Khalistani separatists.

Groups aligned to the Khalistan separatist movement are banned in India and several of these organisations have carried out terrorist activities in the last few decades.

While the US has not made any official comment on “giving shelter” to such elements, Canada had called it their “freedom of speech”.

In response, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said, “India respects and practices freedom of speech, but freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom to support separatism. It does not equate with freedom to threaten foreign diplomats or allow political space to elements advocating violence.”

“In any rules-based society, you would imagine that you would check people’s background, how they came, what passports they carried etc,” he had said.

“If you have people whose presence there was itself on very dubious documents, what does it say about you? It actually says that your vote-bank actually is more powerful than your rule of law,” Mr Jaishankar had said.

THE WHITE HOUSE MEETING

The meeting at White House took place hours before PM Modi is to land in the US to attend the Quad summit in Delaware and to address the ‘Summit of the Future’ event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The meeting was held within the official White House complex and was attended by Pritpal Singh of the American Sikh Caucus Committee and representatives from the Sikh Coalition and Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF).

“Yesterday we had the chance to thank senior federal government officials for saving the lives of Sikh Americans and for vigilance in protecting our community. We asked them to do more, and we will hold them to their assurances that they will,” Pritpal Singh, founder of the American Sikh Caucus Committee told Press Trust of India.

In a social media post on X, Pritpal Singh thanked the US officials for their vigilance in protecting Sikh Americans.”

“We will hold them to their assurances to do more to safeguard our community. Freedom and justice must prevail,” he said.

This is the first time that the US National Security Council has held a meeting with Sikh separatists. No other details of the meeting are available yet.

What comes as a surprise is that the meeting was initiated by the White House.

US BRINGS NEW BILL

Earlier this week, US Congressman Adam Schiff introduced the ‘Transnational Repression Reporting Act 2024’ which requires the Attorney General, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to report cases of transnational repression against people in the United States.

“Through this bill, Congress sends a strong message to both allies and adversaries that violating the constitutional rights of Americans will not be tolerated,” said Sikh group SALDEF which has openly supported Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and has blamed India for his killing.

KHALISTANI TERRORIST GURPATWANT SINGH PANNUN

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a designated Khalistani terrorist. He was born and raised in Khankot village on the outskirts of Amritsar.

Pannun has claimed responsibility for several terror incidents in India. In April 2023, in a video shared on social media, he openly threatened to harm Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Assam.

He founded the Khalistan separatist group SFJ in 2007. India banned the SFJ in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or UAPA for its anti-India activities. In 2020, Pannun was designated a terrorist.

Pannun holds a dual citizenship of the United States and Canada and is currently in the US. His banned separatist organisation operates out of New York.
 

New Delhi:

A US court has summoned the Indian government after Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun filed a civil lawsuit, alleging a plot to murder him. The summons by the US District Court for Southern District of New York names Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta. The summons asks New Delhi and those named to file a reply within 21 days.

The Centre is yet to respond to the summons. Pannu’s X handle, on which he shared a copy of the summons, has been withheld.

In November, the UK newspaper Financial Times reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun, who heads the radical outfit, Sikhs for Justice, and holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. Officials in the Joe Biden administration later confirmed this.

In its first response, the External Affairs Ministry said it is a “matter of concern” and stressed that India has launched a high-level probe.

“As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said that this is also contrary to government policy,” then MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

In May this year, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said India is investigating the matter, but stressed that it would not impact the “upward trajectory” of India-US ties.

“The United States brought to our attention certain information in good faith because we also believe some of it has implications for our own system,” he said in an interview to news agency PTI.

“We are investigating it. But I do not think the fundamental course of the upward trajectory of India-US is impacted by this at all,” he said.

US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has told NDTV that this matter will not affect India-US ties.

Pannun is known to put out incendiary speeches and threats against Indian leaders and institutions. New Delhi designated him a terrorist in 2020.