India taking seriously allegations of plot to kill American citizen: U.S.

File picture of U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller
| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

The United States has said that the Indian government expressed seriousness in dealing with the allegations of a plot to kill an American citizen. The U.S. government stated this as a team of visiting Indian officials had a meeting with the officials of the State Department and Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

“The meeting was here as a follow-up on conversations we have been having with the Government of India at the senior-most levels over the past several months,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

He said it was a “productive meeting” with visiting officials of the India Enquiry Committee, adding they were satisfied with the cooperation from the Indian side.

“They have told us that they are taking the allegations seriously, that the activities contained in the DOJ indictment do not represent government policy,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question.

“We are satisfied with the cooperation. It continues to be an ongoing process. We continue to work with them on that, but we do appreciate the cooperation and we appreciate them updating us on their investigation as we update them on ours,” he said.

“The meeting was to discuss their active investigation into the matter, for us to update them on our active investigation into the matter, and to continue to share sides about steps that could happen in the days and weeks to come,” he said in response to a question.”

The Indian enquiry committee was established to investigate the American allegations of the involvement of an Indian government official in a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. national.

“They did inform us that the individual, who was named in the Justice Department indictment is no longer an employee of the Indian government,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question.

In November last year, U.S. federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Gupta, arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the U.S. on June 14.

India has denied the allegations but has constituted an internal investigations team to look into it.

Responding to another question, he said India continues to be an incredibly strong partner of the United States.

“We work with them on a number of matters, including our shared vision for a free, open, prosperous Indo-Pacific. And when we have concerns, we have the kind of relationship where we can take those concerns to them and have very frank, candid conversations about those concerns. And that’s what we’ve been doing,” Mr. Miller said.