Ties with India may suffer ‘serious damage’ if allegations in Pannun case are not addressed, say U.S. lawmakers

A group of influential U.S. Democratic lawmakers, have said that bilateral ties could face “serious damage” if the U.S. attorney’s allegations in a murder-for-hire plot were not addressed

A group of influential U.S. Democratic lawmakers, who are supporters of the India-U.S. relationship, have said that bilateral ties could face “serious damage” if the U.S. attorney’s allegations against an unnamed Indian official and Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta in a murder-for-hire plot were not addressed.

An indictment from the Southern District of New York on November 29 alleged that these individuals had plotted to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen, in New York earlier this year. The lawmakers described the allegations as “deeply concerning” as they stated that their top priority was the safety of their constituents. 

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“We believe the U.S.-India partnership has made meaningful impact on the lives of both of our people, but we are concerned that the actions outlined in the indictment could, if not appropriately addressed, cause significant damage to this very consequential partnership,” the members of the Congress said in a statement on Friday, after receiving a classified briefing on the case on Wednesday.

New Delhi has launched a probe into the matter, which the lawmakers welcomed.

The signatories of the Congressional statement were Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Shri Thanedar. Mr. Khanna is a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. Mr. Bera is the ranking member of a House of Representatives subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific. All the signatories are active in India-U.S. related initiatives.

While one of the accused, Mr. Gupta, has garnered much attention having been arrested in Prague and facing extradition to the U.S., less is known about the other accused, an unnamed Indian government official, described as ‘CC-1’ in the indictment.