SFJ: US has identified another 'Indian agent' in Pannun plot

NEW DELHI: Terrorist outfit Sikhs For Justice Tuesday released a US court document claiming that the US department of justice (DoJ) had identified another "Indian agent" in the plot to murder the organisation's chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. SFJ claimed that the agent, GS, had allegedly paid $15,000 to assassinate Pannun, a designated terrorist. SFJ said the DoJ had moved to forfeit the amount, which was arranged by former intelligence officer Vikash Yadav (CC1) and given to GS for further delivery to the hitmen who were double agents and DEA informants.

The document released by SFJ is titled "govt's forfeiture bill of particulars" and reads: "Pursuant to US vs Grammatikos (24 Cir. 1980), the govt respectfully gives notice that the property subject to forfeiture as a result of the offences described in Counts One through Three of the above-captioned indictment, and as alleged in the forfeiture allegations and or substitute asset provision therein, includes the following: $15,000 in US currency scared on or about June 9, 2023 from an individual, GS, in the area of 27th Street and 11th Avenue, in New York." In this case, US law enforcement has arrested Nikhil Gupta , an Indian national, who is set to go to trial in the mid of this year.



A US court had in March ordered Gupta and the prosecution to submit a joint letter proposing a trial date in June or July. Gupta, 53, was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the US, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy. Gupta, 53, was named in a US DoJ indictment in Nov 2023 for attempting to hire a hitman to kill Pannun.

Gupta aka "Nick" was accused of conspiring with others in India to orchestrate the assassination, which was allegedly foiled by US law enforcement..