The United States said that it is looking forward to the “results” of the inquiry into the allegations that an Indian official was involved into the assassination of Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Speaking to reporters during the daily news conference on Wednesday, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “They (Indian officials) have announced that they are conducting an inquiry, and we will look forward to the results of that inquiry.”
Last November, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with collaborating with an Indian government employee in a thwarted attempt to kill Pannun in New York. Pannun, who faces terrorism charges in India, holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada.
Gupta, arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US on June 14.
Miller’s comments came in response to members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to respond strongly to the alleged involvement of the Indian government in an assassination attempt on a US citizen in the US.
India responded to the allegations by forming a high-level inquiry committee to investigate information provided by the US regarding the plot.
Miller said, “We will respond to those members privately as we always do. I won’t speak to that here. But as pertains to the other issue, when this issue first arose, we made clear that we had raised it with the government of India and told them that we expected there to be a full investigation.”
Meanwhile, on a question over Lok Sabha elections in India, Miller said, “When it comes to the Indian elections, we have been quite clear on behalf of the United States government that we celebrate what was the largest exercise of democracy in the history of the world.”
“It was an extraordinary achievement. And then when it comes to the outcome of the election, we obviously take no side. That’s a question for the people of India to decide,” Miller said.
