Biden administration satisfied with India’s accountability in Pannun case: Garcetti

Washington: The accountability expected by the Joe Biden administration from India over allegations of involvement of Indian officials in an alleged plot to assassinate a separatist Sikh leader on American soil is satisfied with the steps taken so far, a prominent American diplomat has said.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors had charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with conspiring with an Indian government servant in a failed plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Pannun, who is wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual US and Canadian citizenship. He has been listed as a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

“There are ups and downs in any relationship and in this case it could have been the first major conflict in the relationship, and thankfully, the administration has not been able to achieve the kind of accountability we had expected so far,” US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said at an event organised by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), an American think-tank.