India finds involvement of rogue officials in Pannun assassination plot

AN Indian investigation has found that rogue officials, not authorised by the government, were involved in a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader in the US, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday (20).

The report, citing unnamed senior officials, said at least one person directly involved in the alleged plot is employed by the Indian government but is no longer working for India's foreign spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing.

New Delhi has submitted the findings of the government-appointed investigation panel to US authorities, the report said.

India's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on the report, which said India had not started any criminal action against the individual.

The US is demanding a criminal prosecution of the persons involved, the report said. India set up the investigation panel after US authorities thwarted the plot and issued a warning to India over concerns that the government was involved.

The US Justice Department said in November that an Indian government official directed the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual citizen of the US and Canada.

India's foreign ministry spokesperson had expressed concern at the time that an Indian government official was linked to the plot, saying "this is also contrary to government policy."

The alleged plot came to light in November, two months after Canada cited "credible" allegations linking Indian agents to the June murder of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb. India has rejected those claims.

(Reuters)