New Delhi - The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States, Christopher Wray, initiated his visit to New Delhi on Monday amidst a dispute over allegations from Washington DC regarding the involvement of an Indian government official in a plot to assassinate Khalistani Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States.

Wray held a meeting with Praveen Sood, the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), at the headquarters of India's premier investigative agency.

During their meeting, Wray and Sood concentrated on enhancing the exchange of information related to criminal matters, with a focus on improving coordination in addressing transnational crimes and sharing expertise in investigating technology-enabled crimes.

The CBI issued a press release after the meeting, stating that both agencies acknowledged the challenges posed by organized crime networks, cyber-enabled financial crimes, ransomware threats, economic crimes, and transnational crimes. The discussion included the need to expedite the sharing of evidence and closer cooperation in apprehending criminals and fugitives. The press release also mentioned discussions about exchanging best practices between the FBI Academy in Quantico and the CBI Academy in Ghaziabad.

Both agencies expressed anticipation for future interactions and collaborative initiatives.

Wray's visit followed the recent tour of US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer to New Delhi. These back-to-back visits by senior officials from President Joe Biden's administration occurred amid speculation about the potential impact on bilateral relations following the US Department of Justice's allegation that an Indian government official was involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun in New York.

The allegation from Washington DC came after a similar claim by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government in Ottawa regarding India's role in the killing of Khalistani Sikh extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the British Columbia province of Canada on June 18.

In response to the accusations, New Delhi initiated an investigation following allegations by Washington DC that it had enlisted Nikhil Gupta, an Indian arrested in the Czech Republic by US authorities, to orchestrate an assassination plot. The Indian government, however, had previously rejected similar claims by Trudeau's administration concerning its involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This dismissal triggered a diplomatic dispute, leading to the expulsion of diplomats, reciprocal travel advisories, and heightened tensions between the two nations.

In the aftermath of the diplomatic row, India took strong measures against Canada, characterizing it as a haven for terrorists. The Indian government suspended visa issuance for Canadians and significantly downsized Canada's diplomatic presence in India, resulting in the departure of 41 Canadian diplomats. Despite these stringent actions, New Delhi recently reinstated certain categories of visas for Canadian citizens, signaling a potential thaw in the strained relations between the two countries.