India Arrests Ex-Official "CC1" Over Gurpatwant Pannun Assassination Plot

India has informed the United States that it has arrested the individual identified as “CC1” in a US Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment for allegedly orchestrating an assassination plot against an American citizen on US soil.

The person identified as CC1 is no longer a government official, and a high-level inquiry committee in India is investigating further linkages related to this individual, according to a US official speaking to Hindustan Times. Members of this Indian inquiry committee are set to visit Washington, DC, to meet with US officials and share their findings, while also gaining insights into the US investigation. The US official confirmed this visit, which was initially mentioned in a State Department press release that was later deleted.

The DOJ indictment implicated CC1, a former Indian government official, in directing an assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist in India who is also an American citizen, in New York in June 2023. A Washington Post report in April identified CC1 as Vikram Yadav. The US official expressed optimism, stating, “We are encouraged that this person is no longer a government employee... The Indian inquiry committee is travelling to Washington D.C. and will also be meeting officials here.”

The official further emphasized the “sustained engagement at the highest levels” between both governments to address the allegations. Frequent communication between US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, has been ongoing, along with other officials working closely on the matter. This engagement underscores both governments' commitment to pursuing accountability.

The revelation of CC1’s arrest and the committee’s visit coincided with India’s decision to downgrade its diplomatic relations with Canada. India recalled its High Commissioner from Ottawa and expelled six Canadian diplomats, although the US official clarified that the timing of these events was coincidental. “The enquiry committee’s visit and meetings had been planned for a while,” the official explained, dismissing any direct link to the Canada situation.

When asked about potential trilateral talks between the US, India, and Canada, the official denied any such discussions, reiterating that the focus of the Indian inquiry committee’s visit is solely on the US case and unrelated to Canada’s investigation.

The DOJ's indictment revealed that the assassination plot, allegedly directed by CC1, was thwarted. Nikhil Gupta, an intermediary used by CC1, was arrested in Prague and extradited to the US in 2023. His trial is set to begin soon, while the hired assassin turned out to be an American law enforcement officer. Following the indictment, Pannun filed a lawsuit in New York against the government of India, Ajit Doval, and then R&AW chief Samant Goel. A New York court issued summons in response.

This incident marks a sharp contrast to the Canada-India diplomatic tensions over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian national and designated terrorist in India. The US and India have maintained high-level engagement, working through law enforcement and diplomatic channels to address the issue. The US privately shared its findings with India before the indictment became public, unlike the public approach adopted by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

India has acknowledged receiving inputs from the US and established a high-level committee to investigate the allegations, continuing to cooperate with US authorities while taking concrete steps in response to the accusations.

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