WASHINGTON: US Senator and Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee Ben Cardin said on Thursday that the US Justice Department's indictment of an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a failed assassination plot was disturbing and that he will be chairing a Senate hearing on the issue.
"The disturbing news of a foiled assassination plot against a US citizen involving Indian government officials further underscores the importance of shedding light on efforts by governments to silence dissenters living abroad. Next week, I will be chairing a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that will examine the scope of global transnational repression and how the United States government can more effectively counter this pernicious threat," Chairman Cardin said in a statement.
Senator Cardin noted an alarming rise in cases of "transnational repression" and said that he would examine how the US government can more effectively counter this "pernicious threat."
"We are witnessing an alarming rise in transnational repression globally, where governments are dispatching assassins and kidnappers or using international criminal networks to abduct, harass, intimidate, and harm dissidents, journalists, and other individuals—far beyond their borders," Chairman Cardin said.
The Foreign Relations Committee chair's comments come after the US Justice Department unsealed indictment of an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Pannun, a US-based leader of the Khalistan Movement.
Notably, India has already set up a high-level inquiry committee to look into the matter and will be taking "necessary follow-up action" based on the findings.
The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, reported last week that US authorities foiled a plot to assassinate Pannun, and issued a warning to the Indian government over concerns it was involved in the plot.
The Washington Post on Wednesday reported that the Biden administration was so concerned after discovering the plot to assassinate the Sikh separatist that it sent CIA Director William J Burns and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to India in August and October respectively to demand an investigation and hold to account those responsible.
Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Indian government's decision to investigate the matter was "good and appropriate" and added that the US looked forward to seeing the results.
"With regard to India, first, this is an ongoing legal matter. So you'll understand I can't comment on it in detail. I can say that this is something we take very seriously. A number of us have raised this directly with the Indian government in the past few weeks. The government announced today that it was conducting an investigation, and that's good and appropriate, and we look forward to seeing the results," Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv.
The US Justice Department has claimed in the indictment that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities, according to prosecutors.
Gupta is currently in custody and has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The Czech authorities had arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.
It is claimed that Gupta is an associate of CC-1 and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1. The indictment claims CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The unsealing of the indictment follows the recent sharing of information by the US on a nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, and terrorists. India has since formed a high-level inquiry committee to address the security concerns highlighted by the US government.
The Ministry of External Affairs has said that the episode is a "matter of concern" and is contrary to government policy.
"We cannot share any further information on such security matters. As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said, and let me reiterate, that this is contrary to government policy," the MEA spokesperson said.
"The nexus between organised crime, trafficking, gunrunning, and extremists at an international level is a serious issue for law enforcement agencies and organisations to consider, and it is precisely for that reason that a high-level committee has been constituted, and we will obviously be guided by its results," the MEA spokesperson added.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)