The government is waiting on further details from the New York court proceedings to decide on the next course of action, the people said.
Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday to three charges linked to the attempted killing of Pannun, an activist who publicly supported establishing an independent Sikh state in northern India. Modi’s government has designated Pannun a terrorist and outlawed his group.Also Read: Who is Nikhil Gupta? Indian national pleads guilty in US murder-for-hire plot linked to Pannun case
US prosecutors had alleged that Gupta, who was arrested in the Czech Republic in 2023 and extradited to the US, was directed by Vikash Yadav, an officer with India’s external intelligence agency, to carry out the plot. Yadav, who remains in India, was also charged in the US.India’s Ministry of External Affairs didn’t respond to a request for further information.
In 2024, India’s investigation into the US claims found that rogue operatives not authorized by the government had been involved in the murder plot.
Pannun was an associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot by masked gunmen in June 2023 outside a Sikh temple in Western Canada. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government officials of being involved in the killing, allegations denied by Modi’s administration.
Mark Carney, who took over from Trudeau last year, has sought to reset ties with India and move beyond the diplomatic crisis triggered by Nijjar’s murder. Carney is expected to visit India in coming weeks to discuss deeper cooperation in sectors like energy, technology and trade.
Also Read: Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty in US to murder-for-hire plot targeting Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Canada earlier in February to hold talks with his counterpart, Nathalie Drouin. Both sides agreed to appoint liaison officers for security and law-enforcement matters to improve communication and collaboration on issues of mutual concern.
(Edited by : Name Singh)
