‘Won’t speak until allegations are proved before a jury’: US on investigation into alleged attempt to kill Pannun

NEW DELHI: In an ongoing legal saga, the US State Department has refrained from making any statements regarding the investigation into the alleged conspiracy to assassinate Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Emphasizing the need for due process, the department asserted that it would remain silent until the allegations are substantiated before a jury.
Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US state department, addressed inquiries during a briefing, highlighting the sensitivity of the matter.”There’s a publicly returned indictment that contains alleged facts or allegations. Until they’re proven before a jury that anyone can go and read, I won’t speak to them here because, of course, it’s an ongoing legal matter, and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.
The case revolves around Pannun, an India-designated terrorist holding American and Canadian citizenship.
The indictment filed by the US Justice Department implicates an unidentified Indian government employee in recruiting Nikhil Gupta to engage a hitman for the assassination attempt, thwarted by US authorities. However, both Indian and Russian authorities have raised skepticism regarding the evidence provided by Washington, demanding concrete proof of Indian involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
Amidst these developments, the ministry of external affairs has vehemently denied any official engagement in the reported assassination plot, dismissing it as baseless speculation. Describing it as an “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputation on a “serious matter” that is under investigation, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the US media report was “speculative and irresponsible.”
Meanwhile, India has also set up a high-level committee to probe the matter.
Moreover, the Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the case.
“According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain GS Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable,” the official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
(With inputs from agencies)