US awaits India’s probe results into plot to kill Pannun: Mathew Miller
Washington: The United States is waiting to see the results of the Indian investigations on allegations related to a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US, a State Department official has said.
According to Kashmir Media Service, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference in Washington said, “They (Indian government) opened a committee of inquiry to look into the matter, and that work is ongoing; we’ll wait to see the results. But we made it very clear that it’s something that we are taking seriously and we think they, too, should take this seriously.”
Miller was responding to a question on the allegations that Indian government officials were involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, a US citizen and a Sikh leader.
The allegations surfaced recently, with The Washington Post citing unnamed sources and naming a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.
The US has made it clear that it takes these allegations seriously and expects India to do the same. “I would refer you to the Canadian authorities to speak to the details of the investigation there. With respect to the indictment that was returned in the United States, I will let the Department of Justice speak on behalf of that in detail,” Miller told reporters.
The development comes amid already strained relations between India and the US, with the two countries having differences on several issues, including trade and human rights. The investigation’s outcome is being closely watched, as it could have implications for bilateral ties.
