New Delhi, March 19, 2025 – Recently declassified files related to the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy in 1963 have revealed the existence of CIA-operated secret bases in two of India’s major cities—New Delhi and Kolkata—during the Cold War era. The files, released by the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), have shed new light on the covert operations of the CIA in South Asia.
The revelation came to light after Russian-backed international news outlet RT shared details of the documents on social media platform X. The files confirm that the CIA maintained “black sites” in New Delhi and Kolkata, using them for secretive operations, including the interrogation and detention of suspected spies and terrorists.
Apart from India, similar CIA sites were also identified in Rawalpindi (Pakistan), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Tehran (Iran), Seoul (South Korea), and Tokyo (Japan). These findings underscore the extensive reach of CIA operations in Asia during the Cold War, particularly in strategically important regions.
India’s connection with the CIA dates back to the early 1960s. A 2013 PTI report revealed that India had permitted the US to use the Charbatia air base in Odisha for refuelling U-2 spy planes targeting Chinese territories in 1962. The base, an abandoned World War II site, played a key role in intelligence gathering against China following the Sino-Indian War.
The JFK assassination files were made public by then-US President Donald Trump as part of his campaign promise to increase transparency around the event. The first batch of documents was uploaded to the National Archives website, with more than 80,000 documents expected to be released.
The declassified papers, including memos and intelligence briefings, provide a glimpse into the tense geopolitical climate following the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, which brought the US and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear conflict. Trump’s executive order prompted the FBI to uncover thousands of previously hidden documents related to Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas.
The revelation of CIA activity in India raises fresh questions about the extent of US intelligence operations in the region during the Cold War and India’s strategic involvement. Experts suggest that these disclosures could impact diplomatic relations and historical narratives about US-India ties during that period.
