Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh's murder bid: Joe Biden sent CIA chief to New Delhi to warn India over alleged incident

The report said that Burns came to India to address the issue after US authorities claimed to have uncovered a plot involving an Indian national attempting to hire a hitman to kill Pannun, who resides in New York and leads the Khalistani group "Sikhs for Justice."

The United States alleges that the attempted assassination plot was orchestrated by an official from the Indian government based in India.

The Washington Post reported that CIA director William Burns visited India in early August and conveyed the head of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) Ravi Sinha that "India needed to investigate [the plot] and hold those responsible accountable, and that the United States needed an assurance that this would not happen again.”

The US President also raised the issue with PM Modi during bilateral talks, and detailed "the potential repercussions for our bilateral relationship were similar threats to persist”.

As per Reuters, these diplomatic talks were a part of Washington's efforts to deal with the situation.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to New Delhi and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's November trip were all part of Washington’s efforts to create pressure on India to investigate Pannun’s alleged foiled murder plot.

The US federal prosecutor has accused an Indian intelligence official planned and executed a plot hatched by New Delhi to allegedly assassinate Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York,

The alleged assassination scheme also involved an Indian citizen, along with two individuals described as a source and a hitman, who were actually undercover US officers.

These allegations have been mentioned in an indictment filed by the US Department of Justice in a federal court in Manhattan.

As per the indictment, the Indian official in question connived with a 52-year-old Indian citizen named Nikhil Gupta, alias Nick, reported Indian Express.

Gupta was apprehended by Czech authorities on June 30 of this year and is facing charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.

Both charges come with a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.

According to the indictment, the official, referred to as CC-1, is an employee of an Indian government agency. Describing himself as a "Senior Field Officer" with duties related to "Security Management" and "Intelligence," CC-1 has allegedly held previous roles in India's Central Reserve Police Force, the report said.

The document also mentions his background, noting that he underwent "officer training" in areas such as "battle craft" and "weapons."

On Thursday India called the US Federal court’s accusation against the Indian intelligence official a "cause for concern" and it goes against the policy of the Indian government.

While briefing reporters on the Prime Minister’s visit to Dubai for the COP-28 summit, Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “As regards the case against an individual has been filed in the US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern…this is also contrary to government policy.

"The nexus between organized crime, trafficking, gunrunning and extremists at an international level is a serious issue for law enforcement, agencies and organisations to consider. It is precisely for that reason that a high level inquiry committee has been constituted. We will obviously be guided by its results.”