Nikhil Gupta, suspect in plot to kill Khalistani separatist Pannun, extradited to US | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been accused by US authorities for his role in the foiled attempt to assassinate Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States.
The 52-year-old is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, following his detention in Prague in June last year.
According to The Washington Post, “Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country.”
US federal prosecutors have alleged that Gupta was working for an Indian official to facilitate the murder-for-hire plot against Pannun, and that he hired a hitman and paid $15,000 in advance. The US shared information about the official’s involvement with India, prompting the formation of a committee to investigate the case.
India has denied any involvement in the case and has launched its own investigation into the allegations. Gupta, through his attorney Rohini Musa, has also denied the charges, claiming that he has been “unfairly charged.”
In a petition to the Indian Supreme Court, Musa stated that there is “nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim.”
Gupta’s extradition comes just before US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi for the annual ICET dialogue. It is expected that Sullivan will raise the issue with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, during their meeting.