Govt forms inquiry committee after US says it thwarted India's plot to kill Sikh separatist leader in America

File Photo/AFP

Government of India has constituted a high-level inquiry committee after the United States said that it thwarted India's plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader in America. Newswire PTI reported that the committee will probe allegations relating to the incident.

Last week, The Financial Times reported that the United States authorities thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved.

Following the report, a White House spokesperson said that the US is treating the plot with utmost seriousness and has raised the issue with the Indian government "at the senior-most levels."

Meanwhile, India's External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Wednesday that India constituted a high-level inquiry committee on November 18 to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter.

Pannun, a Sikh extremist and known to be an American and Canadian citizen, is wanted by Indian probe agencies on various terror charges. "We have already said that during the course of discussions with the US on bilateral security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others," Bagchi said.

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"We had also indicated that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue," he said.

"In this context, it is informed that on November 18, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter," he added.

Bagchi said India will take necessary follow-up action based on the findings of the committee.

The FT report came weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made allegations of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a Vancouver suburb in June. (With inputs from agencies)