Oct 15 V7N- An Indian government committee is set to meet U.S. officials in Washington this week as part of an investigation into India's alleged involvement in a foiled murder plot against Sikh separatist activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship. The U.S. has been urging India to investigate claims by the U.S. Justice Department that an Indian intelligence official directed plans to assassinate Pannun in 2023. Pannun is a prominent advocate for the creation of an independent Sikh state, Khalistan, in northern India.

The U.S. State Department, in a rare statement on a foreign country's investigation, confirmed that the Indian Enquiry Committee is investigating the implicated individual and will discuss its findings with U.S. authorities during the Washington visit. This comes amid broader tensions between India and Canada over the June 2023 assassination of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in Nijjar’s killing, which India has denied. 

India’s embassy in Washington has yet to comment on the committee’s visit or the ongoing investigations, but the situation further strains India's relations with both Canada and the U.S. as they address accusations related to the targeting of Sikh activists abroad.

END/WD/RH/