India has decided to set up a high-level probe committee to look into the security concerns shared by the United States regarding the criminal nexus and the attempt to murder pro-Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Wednesday.
The security concern were shared by the President Joe Biden-led administration with India during the recently concluded bilateral meet.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement today that the Indian government will be taking "necessary follow-up action" based on the findings of the enquiry committee.
"We have already said that during the course of discussions with the US on bilateral security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others," Bagchi said in a statement.
"We had also indicated that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments were already examining the issue," the statement added.
The MEA said that the enquiry committee was constituted on November 18.
"In this context, it is informed that on 18 November 2023, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter," the MEA spokesperson said.
He added, "Government of India will take necessary follow-up action based on the findings of the Enquiry Committee".
Indian had earlier informed that US had shared some inputs pertaining to a "nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists and others" during the course of recent discussions on India-US security cooperation.
The developments comes only weeks after UK-based daily newspaper Financial Times had reported that the US had thwarted an assassination attempt on notorious Khalistani separatist and leader of banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
The UK-based newspaper had also reported that the US government issued a "warning" to India over concerns that New Delhi was "involved in the plot" to eliminate Pannun.
The report had not been denied by the US government. Instead, US had informed India of concerns regarding the alleged plot to kill Pannun, the Financial Times reported quoting people familiar with the matter.
The report found itself being compared to India's response to the murder allegations put forward by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
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