Daniel Markey, senior advisor in the South Asia Programme at the United States Institute of Peace, analyses and discusses the recently released superseding indictment which reveals ‘evidence’ to back up the allegation India attempted to assassinate a US citizen on US soil.
Was the mastermind called CC-1, described as an employee of the Indian government, acting at its behest or was he a rogue agent?
Does the fact he had video clips of Nijjar’s bloody body slumped in his vehicle hours after Nijjar’s killing provide corroboration for Justin Trudeau’s allegations?
Given that for weeks Nikhil Gupta’s communications with his criminal associates were intercepted, does the US have more details which are yet to be made public?
How seriously has the Biden Administration taken all of this? What impact will it have on India-US strategic relations? What about the claim the two countries have shared values? As a result, could the US Congress hesitate to clear critical defence deals? Finally, if Washington is prepared to overlook this, what will it demand in return?
