Indian officials have once again denied any involvement by New Delhi in the alleged plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen and outspoken critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New York in 2023.
According to officials familiar with the matter, Nikhil Gupta, the Indian national who pleaded guilty last week in a New York court over his role in the attempted killing, acted independently and had no links to the Indian government. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
The Indian government is currently awaiting further details from the US court proceedings before determining its next steps, the sources said.
Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty on Friday to three charges related to the assassination attempt on Pannun, who has publicly advocated for the creation of an independent Sikh state in northern India. The Indian government has designated Pannun a terrorist and banned his organisation.
US prosecutors had earlier alleged that Gupta was directed by Vikash Yadav, an officer in India’s external intelligence agency, to carry out the plot. Yadav, who remains in India, has also been charged by US authorities.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2024, an Indian investigation into the US allegations concluded that rogue operatives, acting without government authorisation, were involved in the plot.
Pannun is also known to have been associated with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead by masked gunmen in June 2023 outside a Sikh temple in Canada. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused Indian officials of involvement in Nijjar’s killing, allegations that New Delhi has strongly denied.
Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney, who succeeded Trudeau last year, has since sought to reset diplomatic relations with India after the fallout from the Nijjar case. Carney is expected to visit India in the coming weeks to discuss closer cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, and energy.
Earlier this month, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Canada and held talks with his counterpart Nathalie Drouin. Both sides agreed to appoint liaison officers for security and law enforcement to enhance communication and cooperation on mutual security concerns.