"Unwarranted, Unsubstantiated": MEA On Washington Post Report That Claimed RAW Planned To Assassinate Pannun In US

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has responded to The Washington Post report which claimed that India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) planned to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter," and mentioned the ongoing investigation.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar had also said that India is investigating the matter based on information provided by the US in response to US Ambassador Eric Garcetti's remarks.

A High-Level Committee has been set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others.

MEA added, "Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful."

WaPo says that the operations to target anti-Indian separatists had been authorised from the highest levels - i.e RAW chief Samant Goel and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.

It named RAW officer Vikram Yadav and alleged that he forwarded Pannun's details, including his New York address, to the assassins. However, US authorities thwarted the attempt, the report says.

Last year, an Indian national Nikhil Gupta was charged by American authorities for allegedly conspiring with an Indian government employee to pay an assassin $100,000 to kill Pannun.

The report claims that Yadav is an "associate" of Gupta and the two Indians traded "encrypted texts about the plot to kill Pannun."

Pannun, a designated terrorist by India, holds citizenship in the US and Canada. He is the founder of banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

He has a history of making terrorist threats against India, including statements against Air India's operations and threats against the Indian Parliament.