Leads Soon On India Consulate Attack, FBI Chief Told Delhi: Sources

Visiting Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI Director Christopher Wray has assured India that the US is probing attack on the Indian Consulate in San Francisco “aggressively” and would be able to share “credible” leads soon, sources said. Mr Wray met National Investigation Agency Director Dinkar Gupta on second day of his visit on Tuesday.

In March, a group of Khalistan supporters attacked and damaged the Indian Consulate. It was again attacked in July. The NIA team had visited San Francisco in August and returned with some leads.

The meeting between the investigating agency chiefs comes on the heels of Washington’s allegations about an Indian link to a foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

At the meeting, India flagged how freedom of expression is being misused, NDTV has learnt.

“The NIA chief highlighted how the nexus between terrorist outfits and terrorist elements with members of organised criminal syndicates spreading in the US,” a senior official said.

Detailed discussions were also held between both agencies on how to share real time intelligence, so that informed decisions can be taken promptly.

“Discussions were also held on several pending extraditions, including that of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack co-conspirator Tahawwur Rana,” another senior official said.

Pakistan-origin Canadian businessman Rana is wanted by the Indian authorities for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. He is currently in the US.

At the meeting, the NIA chief pointed out that threats in the cyber domain were increasing. Digital space was also being effectively exploited by terrorists and extremists for propagating radical views and recruitment, he said, adding that NIA was also seeing use of crytocurrency for terror funding.

The difficulties encountered by law enforcement agencies in obtaining data from encryption Apps were also discussed.

The two sides noted that with the advent of newer technologies at a fast pace, tracing, tracking and investigating crypto transactions is turning out to be a huge challenge, the official said.

The official said both agencies recognised the challenges posed by organised crime networks, terror related crimes, cyber-enabled terror attacks, ransomware threats, economic crimes and transnational terror crimes.