US withdraws note on 'Indian panel's visit' to Washington for probe of Gurpatwant Pannun murder plot

India has denied the allegations but has constituted an internal investigations team to look into the matter.

An enquiry committee set up by India will travel to the United States on Tuesday (October 15) to investigate the American allegations of the involvement of an Indian government official in a “foiled plot” to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, the US Department of State said on Monday. However, the government later withdrew its statement posted by US Department of State.

According to an official media release earlier, the Enquiry Committee would travel to Washington, D.C. on October 15 to discuss the case, “including they have obtained, and to receive an update from US authorities regarding the US case that is proceeding”.

“The Committee was established by India to investigate the activities of certain organised criminals and is actively investigating the individual who was identified last year in the Department of Justice's indictment as an Indian government employee who directed a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City,” the release said earlier.

"Additionally, India has informed the United States they are continuing their efforts to investigate other linkages of the former government employee and will determine follow-up steps, as necessary,” the State Department earlier added.

In November last year, the US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with being engaged with an Indian government employee in the “foiled plot” to assassinate Pannun in New York. Gupta, arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US on June 14.

India has denied the allegations but has constituted an internal investigations team to look into the matter.

(With PTI inputs)