A U.S. indictment says a man plotting to assassinate a Sikh activist in New York also discussed the murder of Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June, and said there were three more 香蕉视频直播渏obs香蕉视频直播� that needed to be carried out in Canada that month.

American prosecutors say Nikhil Gupta, 52, was recruited by an Indian government employee to arrange the U.S. killing, and they arranged to pay an undercover officer they thought was a hit man US$100,000 to kill the activist.

The murder-for-hire indictment against Gupta, an Indian national, says he told the undercover officer that Nijjar 香蕉视频直播渨as also the target,香蕉视频直播� and because he was dead, there was 香蕉视频直播渘o need to wait香蕉视频直播� on the next killing.

The indictment was unsealed Wednesday in Manhattan Federal Court.

The alleged New York target isn香蕉视频直播檛 named in the document, but has previously been identified by U.S. officials as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen who is involved in organizing unofficial referendums on Sikh independence.

The description of the case against Gupta comes just over two months after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament there were 香蕉视频直播渃redible allegations香蕉视频直播� linking Nijjar香蕉视频直播檚 killing to India香蕉视频直播檚 government, claims that New Delhi called absurd.

The indictment says Gupta told the undercover officer the day after Nijjar香蕉视频直播檚 murder outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., that 香蕉视频直播渨e have so many targets.香蕉视频直播�

It says the plot was directed by an Indian government employee who has described himself as a 香蕉视频直播渟enior field officer香蕉视频直播� with responsibilities in 香蕉视频直播渟ecurity management香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渋ntelligence.香蕉视频直播�

Trudeau said Wednesday that Canadian authorities have been working closely with their American counterparts since August in relation to the assertion about Indian government involvement in Nijjar香蕉视频直播檚 killing.

香蕉视频直播淭he news coming out of the United States further underscores what we香蕉视频直播檝e been talking about from the very beginning, which is that India needs to take this seriously. The Indian government needs to work with us to ensure that we香蕉视频直播檙e getting to the bottom of this,香蕉视频直播� he told reporters in Ottawa.

香蕉视频直播淭his is not something that anyone can take lightly. Our responsibility is to keep Canadians safe, and that香蕉视频直播檚 what we香蕉视频直播檙e going to continue to do.香蕉视频直播�

Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Wednesday the U.S. indictment 香蕉视频直播渃onfirms that Canada is not alone at managing these particular threats.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淲hat香蕉视频直播檚 important for us is the government of Canada and agencies like the RCMP and the intelligence service do everything that they can to protect Canadians, but also to hold accountable those who murdered a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.香蕉视频直播�

Pannun said Wednesday that the Indian government wants to kill him because of his role organizing the Sikh referendums, extending overseas 香蕉视频直播渋ts policy of violently crushing香蕉视频直播� the movement.

香蕉视频直播淔or me, it香蕉视频直播檚 not (an) indictment against Nikhil Gupta. The indictment is against (the) Indian prime minister,香蕉视频直播� he said in an interview.

Pannun called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 香蕉视频直播渉uman rights violator香蕉视频直播� with a 香蕉视频直播渢rack record of using violence to suppress criticism and dissenting political opinion.香蕉视频直播�

He would not say whether American authorities had previously warned him of threats to his life.

Both Pannun and Nijjar were prominent members of Sikhs for Justice, the group organizing the referendums on the establishment of an independent Sikh state.

香蕉视频直播淭he attempt on my life on American soil is the blatant case of India香蕉视频直播檚 transnational terrorism which has become a challenge to America香蕉视频直播檚 sovereignty and threat to freedom of speech and democracy,香蕉视频直播� Pannun said in a statement.

Representatives of the High Commission of India in Ottawa and the Consulate General of India in Vancouver did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the indictment.

Gupta has been charged with murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire.

香蕉视频直播淭he defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India,香蕉视频直播� U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a news release.

Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30 in the Czech Republic through a bilateral extradition treaty between the U.S. and the Czech Republic, according to the release. It was not immediately clear when he might be brought to the United States.

The unnamed Indian government employee recruited Gupta last May to orchestrate the assassination, the indictment says.

In June, the Indian government employee gave Gupta the home address of Pannun, his phone numbers and details about his daily conduct, including surveillance photographs, which Gupta then passed along to the undercover agent, the indictment says.

It says Gupta directed the undercover agent to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but also warned the agent not to commit the killing around the time of anticipated engagements between high-level U.S. and Indian officials.

It said Gupta told a confidential source 香蕉视频直播渢hat before the 香蕉视频直播�29th [of June] we have to finish four jobs,香蕉视频直播� i.e.: the victim and, after that, 香蕉视频直播榯hree in Canada.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister M茅lanie Joly said little Wednesday about the unfolding murder-for-hire plot and its echoes of a similar investigation in Canada.

香蕉视频直播淲hen it comes to what香蕉视频直播檚 happening in the U.S., I won香蕉视频直播檛 comment directly because, of course, I respect the work that the American law enforcement agencies are doing and I respect also the independence of their legal system,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淲e stand by our own credible allegations that there was the killing of a Canadian, on Canadian soil, linking to Indian agents.香蕉视频直播�

British Columbia Premier David Eby said during an unrelated news conference on Wednesday that if there is credible information about a threat to lives of people in Canada from a foreign government, then the province needs that information to be able to respond.

He said the information from the United States is just another reminder of how vulnerable our international relationships can be.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e a small trade dependent jurisdiction. Canada香蕉视频直播檚 relationship with the rest of the world has a disproportionate impact on British Columbia. Tensions between the U.S. and China and Canada, and China and Canada and India have impacts on trade for us.香蕉视频直播�

The White House declined to comment directly on the charges against Gupta, but stressed administration officials acted quickly.

香蕉视频直播淲hen we were made aware of the fact that the defendant in this case had credibly indicated that he was directed to arrange the murder by an individual who is assessed to be an employee of the Indian Government, we took this information very seriously and engaged in direct conversations with the Indian government at the highest levels to express our concern,香蕉视频直播� White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

READ ALSO:

READ ALSO: