India has informed the United States (US) that it has detained the individual identified as “CC1” in a US Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment, accused of orchestrating a plot to assassinate an American citizen on US soil, according to a report by the Hindustan Times (HT) on Monday, citing a US official. The person, identified as CC1, is alleged to have planned an assassination attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated terrorist in India and an American citizen, in New York in June 2023.
The DOJ indictment had earlier identified CC1 as a serving Indian government official involved in the plot. In an April report, The Washington Post named CC1 as Vikram Yadav, who is believed to have had a critical role in orchestrating the assassination attempt. However, India has since clarified to the US that CC1 is no longer a government official and that a high-level inquiry committee is investigating his other connections and activities.
Inquiry Committee to Visit Washington
According to the Hindustan Times, an Indian inquiry committee, set up after these allegations surfaced, is scheduled to travel to Washington, DC, to meet with US officials. The goal of this visit is to present India’s findings and understand the details of the American investigation. The unnamed US official confirmed these developments and expressed optimism about India’s handling of the situation.
“We are encouraged that this person is no longer a government employee,” the US official told the national daily. “We have also been informed that he has been arrested on local charges.” The official added that the ongoing collaboration between the two nations reflects “sustained engagement at the highest levels” between India and the US to address the serious allegations raised in the case.
The visit of the Indian inquiry committee was first reported in a US State Department press release on Monday evening, Indian Standard Time (IST). However, the release was later removed and had not been republished at the time of reporting. Despite this, both Indian and US officials have confirmed the visit and the progress of discussions surrounding the case.
Diplomatic Implications Amid India-Canada Tensions
News of the inquiry committee’s visit and the arrest of CC1 emerged as India’s diplomatic relations with Canada reached a new low. On the same day, New Delhi announced the withdrawal of its High Commissioner, Sanjay Kumar Verma, and expelled six Canadian diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Ross Wheeler. This followed accusations from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who alleged Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India has dismissed Trudeau’s accusations as “absurd” and “motivated” by domestic politics, accusing the Canadian government of targeting Indian diplomats for “vote bank politics.” Canada, in turn, expressed its intent to question Indian diplomats and officials as part of its investigation into Nijjar’s death.
The parallel diplomatic crises have complicated India’s relationships with both Canada and the US. While the situation with Canada remains tense, India’s cooperation with the US in the Pannun case may help mitigate further strain with Washington.
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Plot Foiled and Developments in the Case
The DOJ indictment alleges that CC1 worked with an intermediary, Nikhil Gupta, to carry out the assassination plot against Pannun. Gupta, who was reportedly arrested in Prague last year, was extradited to the US in 2024, where he now awaits trial. The hired assassin, recruited by Gupta, turned out to be an undercover American law enforcement officer, foiling the plot.
When the allegations first became public in late 2023, the US sought accountability from India. In response, India launched an internal investigation, setting up a committee to probe the case. While India has asserted that the plot was not sanctioned by the government, it has cooperated with the US to address the concerns raised in the DOJ indictment.
Legal Actions in the US
As the investigation unfolds, Pannun has also taken legal action against Indian officials. In September, he filed a lawsuit in New York against the Indian government, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel. A New York court issued summons in the case, which led to significant diplomatic challenges for India.
Doval’s absence during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit last month has been widely attributed to the summons and the ongoing controversy surrounding the Pannun case. While the case has added another layer of complexity to India’s relations with the US, the continued engagement between both governments suggests that diplomatic channels remain open for resolving the issue.
