U.S. prosecutors have accused an Indian official of organizing an assassination plot against an American Sikh leader. The plot, which was foiled by U.S. officials, emerged just days after the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

The alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil began in May, with a text message between what the American indictment says was an Indian security official and an alleged drugs trafficker.

Officials in the United States and Canada have described two assassination attempts: the killing of a Sikh leader in British Columbia and a plan to murder an activist in New York.

Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is pictured in his office on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023, in New York. U.S. authorities said an Indian government official directed a plot to assassinate Pannun in New York City after he advocated for a sovereign state for Sikhs.

After an indictment accuses an Indian official of ordering an assassination on U.S. soil, diplomats and experts debate how far up the chain the scheme went.

The relationship between the U.S. and India took a hit after the Justice Department announced charges against an Indian national for allegedly taking part in a murder-for-hire scheme on U.S. soil.