A day after The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to eliminate Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, India on Tuesday said the report made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter.

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun.

“The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“There is an ongoing investigation of the high level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others,” he said.

Jaiswal was responding to media queries on the report.

“Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” Jaiswal said.

The report in The Washington Post claimed that a man referred to as ‘CC-1’ in the indictment filed on the alleged murder plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was a RAW officer, Vikram Yadav.

Yadav forwarded details about Pannun to the hired hit team, the report said.  Vikram Yadav, an officer who allegedly worked with the Research and Analysis Wing, had hired a hit team and plotted an attack on Pannun on American soil, the report said.

According to the report, Vikram Yadav, who is allegedly working with a different government organisation now, forwarded details about Pannun, including his New York address, to the hit team. The Washington Post claimed that the Ministry of External Affairs declined to respond to its article. In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun. He is wanted in India on terror charges.

Gupta, aged 52, found himself apprehended in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, following charges from the US Justice Department. The indictment detailed Gupta’s agreement to pay $100,000 for Pannun’s assassination, with an initial payment of $15,000 made on June 9, 2023.

India had staunchly denied the US allegations, stating that the so-called conspiracy to murder Pannun was “contrary to government policy”. The government also constituted a high-level inquiry committee on November 18, 2023, to probe Pannun murder plot allegations.

He holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union home ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On December 7, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament that India instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US in the case as the matter has a bearing on national security.

The allegations about the failed plot to kill Pannun came to fore weeks after the Canadian Prime Minister claimed in September of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia. India had strongly rejected the charges.