India is asking the United States to share intelligence about Sikh Americans who they consider to be separatists, Reuters reports. The request comes amidst an investigation into an Indian official who was allegedly connected to a plan to assassinate a prominent Sikh American.
An official from India, who requested anonymity, told Reuters that the National Investigations Agency (NIA), India’s federal anti-terrorism agency, made the request during meetings with FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“India has requested the U.S. officials to share inputs on suspected individuals who have in recent years been recruited and embedded in the separatist movement,” the official said.
The Indian government is concerned that Sikh separatists are working against India while living in the United States.
The request comes amidst a serious investigation a murder-for-hire plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City. According to CNN, US federal prosecutors have charged an Indian national with trying to kill Pannun, believing he was acting on orders from an Indian government official.
Pannun is an activist who has been advocating for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state in the Indian region of Punjab. India has labeled him a terrorist and national security threat.
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