'Unwarranted': India rejects Washington Post report on Pannun plot

A day after The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to assassinate Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, India on Tuesday said the report made "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputations on a serious matter and that investigation into the case was underway.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.

"The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

He said a high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi to look into inputs provided by the US on the alleged plot was still probing the case.

"There is an ongoing investigation of the high level committee 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," he said.

Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the report.

"Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful," Jaiswal said, slamming the report by the US daily.

The Washington Post report identified the RAW officer as Vikram Yadav and alleged that he was involved in the plot to assassinate Pannun.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun.

Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union home ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The allegations about the failed plot to kill Pannun came to fore weeks after the Canadian Prime Minister claimed in September of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.

India had strongly rejected the charges.

On December 7, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament that India instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US in the Pannun case as the matter has a bearing on national security.