Pannun assassination plot: Enemy or closest friend, US won't tolerate murder-for-hire

The United States Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, called for accountability from both countries involved in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder-for-hire case.

“We have said two things from the beginning. This sort of behaviour is unacceptable from any country to another country. Certainly, unacceptable to us as Americans. That’s a red line, coming from an enemy or a closest friend. That’s our first responsibility, no matter who they are or what they say, to draw a line that murder-for-hire is illegal, as it is in every country,” Garcetti told Times of India.

Speaking for Washington, Garcetti also said that there was no way the United States would compromise on criminal activity, adding that there was "too much at stake" for India and the US to not get this case right.

“Second, we desire accountability. Not just say it won’t happen in the future but that those who were involved will be held accountable. That’s what our prosecutors are focused on. Our prosecutors are 100 percent not political. They exist in a different universe,” he added.

The Ambassador's comments come days after American authorities announed charges against a former Indian government official, Vikash Yadav, for his alleged involvement in the plot to take Pannun out.

Expressing satisfaction with the work done so far by the Indian commission of inquiry, the ambassador said Washington expects New Delhi to have criminal accountability for anyone who would break the law. “We are very satisfied that a commission of inquiry was set up. The commission is going through a formal process, as we do on dozens of cases at any point in time," he said.

Adding that, "Every single day, the United States and India formally ask for evidence, do joint investigations, make arrests, extraditions. We expect the same here."

The committee probing the plot was recently in the America, collecting information and conducting their investigation. Talking of them, Garcetti said, “We got good feedback from the Indian committee. Our law enforcement authorities were happy to share. But ultimately, I think, people in Washington will only be satisfied when accountability is achieved," he said.

Garcetti also explained that American prosecutors "have put forward evidence that merits criminal charges and that evidence can and will be shared in a proper way with the Indian investigation," and how the Biden administration expects "that the Indian system, just like the American system, knows that murder-for-hire plots are illegal and will hold people accountable.”

Speaking of Yadav - who has been accused of recruiting Nikhil Gupta, another Indian, to orchestrate the assassination of a US citizen - the Ambassador said there would be no justice without accountability, adding that he "can’t speak about this individual’s criminal activities here in India but the prosecutors in the US clearly believe he was involved in a criminal conspiracy in America.”

Asked about whether this issue might adversely impact the India-US relationship, given the speculation here that American authorities might be acting in tandem with the Canadians, the ambassador said, “that there’s too much at stake in our relationship for us not to get this right”.

Talking about the charges against Yadav, Garcetti also said that in the American system, a politician or even the White House doesn’t pick up the phone and tell the prosecutor to bring charges or not. “That’s an independent decision based on the prosecutors’ belief in the evidence,” he said.

Asked about India’s latest diplomatic spat with Canada over the “expulsion” of the Indian high commissioner, Garcetti described both as close friends and partners of the United States and expressed hope they can reach an understanding. “It’s something really between India and Canada. I’d hope there can be an understanding. Justice is justice. That should be clear. I think these are countries that cooperate on issues of criminal justice all the time and I’d hope that can be achieved even in difficult moments,’’ he said.