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Will remain engaged with India on Pannun issue, says State Dept official
A US court unsealed an indictment in November 2023 convicting an unnamed Indian government official (referred to as CC-1) and Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, in an attempt to assassinate Pannun.
Richard Verma , Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources / state.gov
The United States will remain engaged with India on the issue of transnational repression stemming from thwarted plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma said in New Delhi on Feb.20
Verma was in the Indian capital to participate in an event titled “The long view from DC: The India-US partnership” hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). He made the remarks in response to a question during the media interaction.
The highest-ranking Indian American in the State Department said, “I know we raised our concerns with the Government of India. There is a committee of inquiry looking into the matter, and we will stay engaged with the government and look forward to their findings. And they’ve taken it very seriously, and we’re grateful for that.”
Verma’s comments come after a US court unsealed an indictment in November convicting an unnamed Indian government official (referred to as CC-1) and Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, in an attempt to assassinate Pannun.
Gupta, who is currently detained in the Czech Republic, faces charges of murder-for-hire, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
In his remarks during the event, Verma discussed the US-India bilateral relationship across key themes such as transcending the burdens of colonialism, advocating for social justice and equality, and striving for a robust, inclusive democratic framework governed by the people.
The diplomat, who served as the former US Ambassador to India, further lauded the contribution of the Indian diaspora in the United States, the expanding trade between the two countries and their cooperation in other areas.
“Our people-to-people ties must remain of paramount focus. That means new education linkages, new efforts on research, new cultural initiatives, and even more development work. It also means taking our efforts globally; as both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi have said, our impact with each other is important, but what we can do for the world is even more important,” he said.
“This is the kind of future that I see together: two great countries, with their people united in common cause to make the world a better place,” he concluded.
During his visit, Verma held meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, and participated in a panel discussion hosted by the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF).
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