With the impending visit of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher A. Wray to India next week, sources indicate that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is gearing up to address the matter of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun with the visiting US official.
It is anticipated that Wray will engage with officials from both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and NIA in the national capital during his upcoming visit to India, according to insider information.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti confirmed the scheduled visit of FBI Director Christopher Wray during an event in Delhi on Wednesday.
Wray’s planned visit coincides with an ongoing US federal investigation into an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Sikh radical Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
The US administration has leveled allegations against an Indian national and an official from an Indian agency in connection with the case. Discussing India-US relations at a panel during the Carnegie ‘Global Technology Summit’ held in New Delhi, Ambassador Eric Garcetti remarked, “This was the Number 1 country she (US Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen) went to outside the United States. Four times this year. The Secretary of State (Antony Blinken) just came here for the third time. Secretary of Defence (Lloyd Austin) for the second time. The FBI director is here next week.”
The visit of the FBI Director is aimed at enhancing cooperation between the United States and India on various law enforcement matters.
This development comes shortly after US Principal Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA) Jonathan Finer’s recent visit to Delhi, where he met with Vikram Misri, India’s Deputy National Security Adviser.
The matter of the alleged assassination plot was discussed during their meeting. In the previous month, the United States formally charged an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire charges.
Gupta stands accused of plotting to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City.
According to court documents filed by the US Justice Department, an unnamed Indian government official collaborated with Gupta in the conspiracy to eliminate Pannun.
In response, New Delhi has constituted a high-level special Enquiry Committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
Background
Pannun, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, serves as the general counsel for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), an organization advocating for Khalistan.
As a prominent pro-Khalistan lawyer, he plays a crucial role in orchestrating nonbinding referendums for a separate Sikh state in countries with significant Indian diasporas, including Canada, the UK, and Australia.
In 2019, the Indian government, citing anti-India activities, banned Sikhs for Justice under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Subsequently, in 2020, Pannun was designated an “individual terrorist” under the UAPA for promoting secessionism and allegedly encouraging Punjabi Sikh youth to take up arms.
In September of this year, amidst a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Pannun called upon Hindu-Canadians to depart from Canada. Pannun asserted a close association with Nijjar spanning over two decades, describing him as a “younger brother” in a previous interview and blaming India for Nijjar’s death.
Recently, the separatist leader garnered attention by issuing threats of a global blockade and asserting that Air India would be barred from operations. Additionally, he claimed that on November 19, coinciding with the Cricket World Cup final, the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi would be renamed and would remain closed.
