Federal prosecutors in the US announced this week that they had charged an Indian national in a murder-for-hire scheme that focused a Sikh activist in New York. The plot was foiled, they mentioned, but it surely additional difficult the fragile diplomatic relations between the US, Canada and India.
President Biden has sought to strengthen ties with India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, amid rising tensions with China and a standoff with Russia. However prosecutors mentioned the plan to kill the activist in New York was organized by an Indian authorities official — probably disrupting the Biden administration’s outreach to India.
The U.S. prosecutors additionally linked the plot to a murder in Canada last June. Relations between India and Canada had soured this fall after Canadian officers accused Indian authorities brokers of the killing.
Here’s a timeline of the occasions as American and Canadian officers have laid them out.
In or round Might 2023
American prosecutors mentioned that, round this time, an unnamed Indian authorities worker recruited Nikhil Gupta, an Indian nationwide, to orchestrate the assassination of a U.S. citizen, in keeping with the indictment. The goal of the plot described in court docket paperwork was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a vocal critic of the Indian authorities and the overall counsel for Sikhs for Justice, which advocates the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India.
Might 29
Mr. Gupta started looking for somebody in the US who may very well be employed for homicide, prosecutors mentioned — however the individual he discovered, they mentioned, was truly an spy of the U.S. authorities. Over the next weeks, the 2 mentioned the logistics of the homicide and the value.
June 9
Mr. Gupta organized for an affiliate to ship $15,000 in money to the individual he believed to be a hitman, the indictment mentioned, calling the cash an advance fee for the homicide.
June 11
The unnamed Indian official advised Mr. Gupta that if he couldn’t kill the deliberate sufferer that very day, the indictment mentioned, the homicide must wait till after diplomatic engagements between high-level U.S. and Indian officers. Mr. Gupta had already warned in a name that “we need to calm down everything 10 days,” and mentioned the killing might result in protests and “political things,” in keeping with prosecutors.
June 12 to 14
On a name, Mr. Gupta advised an affiliate a couple of “big target” in Canada and that he could be sharing particulars, prosecutors mentioned.
June 18
Masked gunman killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, a distinguished Sikh group chief, on the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in British Columbia, Canada. The gunmen sped away in a getaway automotive, leaving Mr. Nijjar’s bloodied physique, prosecutors mentioned, slumped over in his bullet-ridden automobile parked outdoors the temple.
June 19
Mr. Gupta forwarded a video clip of Mr. Nijjar’s physique to the supposed hitman in the US after which advised him “the good news is this: now no need to wait,” in keeping with the indictment. He warned, although, that the goal would most likely be extra cautious now.
June 22
President Biden formally welcomed Prime Minister Modi of India to the White Home for a state dinner, looking for to bolster U.S.-India ties.
June 24 to June 29
Mr. Gupta pushed ahead together with his plan, having the potential sufferer adopted and tracked, prosecutors mentioned.
June 30
Mr. Gupta traveled from India to the Czech Republic, in keeping with the indictment. Upon arrival, the Czech authorities detained him on the request of the US, in connection together with his position within the alleged plot.
Sept. 10
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Mr. Biden every met Mr. Modi on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi.
Mr. Trudeau later advised Canada’s Home of Commons that he had raised India’s alleged involvement within the shooting of Mr. Nijjar with Mr. Modi after they met in New Delhi.
Mr. Biden instructed the C.I.A. director to go to India in August to debate the suspected assassination plot and press the Indian authorities to carry these concerned accountable, in keeping with U.S. officers conversant in the occasions. Mr. Biden himself raised the New York plot immediately with Mr. Modi after they met in New Delhi.
Sept. 21
India suspended visa applications by Canadian nationals, escalating the battle between the 2 nations.
Sept. 23
American spy businesses provided Canada with information that helped assist its declare that the Indian authorities was behind Mr. Nijjar’s killing, in keeping with Western allied officers.
Oct. 19
Canada withdrew two-thirds of its diplomats from India, as India threatened to revoke their diplomatic immunity.
Nov. 29
An indictment laying out the fees in opposition to Mr. Gupta was unsealed within the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York. He was charged with homicide for rent and conspiracy to commit homicide for rent.
The Indian overseas ministry said it took the accusation as a matter of concern, and that the federal government had appointed a high-level committee of inquiry to look into it.
