Indian national Nikhil Gupta extradited to U.S. to stand trial in alleged plot to kill Sikh activist in New York
Indian national Nikhil Gupta (52), accused of attempting to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic on Friday. Gupta’s currently lodged prison – Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn – will be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday.
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Nikhil Gupta, charged as a hired Indian agent was arrested in the Czech Republic last year, when he landed from New Delhi at the request of the US government. The Czech Constitutional Court in May had rejected Gupta’s application challenging the extradition and upholding the decision by the two lower courts, paving the way for his extradition to the US.
According to a statement released by the Constitutional Court’s spokesperson, “he (Gupta) presented this argument (for the first time) only in a constitutional complaint. The political or military dimension does not result either from the legal classification of the crime in question, or from the act itself, or the circumstances of its commission”.
“The argument that he was hired by an Indian government agent in charge of security matters, and therefore, probably a task assigned by the Indian government (where the person who committed the crime is a “sui generis soldier” eliminating a member of a terrorist movement) cannot be a reason to deny the applicant’s edition. As stated by the High Court, the applicant is not a political activist, and the act was not aimed at a change in the organization of public affairs,” it read.
The previous year, the US indicted Gupta with conspiracy to murder Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who was a US citizen and a designated terrorist in India. Gupta was arrested by the Czech authorities on 30 June. The main charge is to murder a US citizen on US soil. Pannun, a designated terrorist by India for the past two decades is shuttling between the US and Canada and heading many anti-India activities across the World and charged in India for organizing several terror attempts in India.
US prosecutors termed Nikhil Gupta as an “employee” who directed the “assassination plot from India”. They accused Gupta is involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking, and was recruited by the said Indian Government employee.[1]
Reference:
[1] Attempt to murder Pannun: Czech court allows extradition of Nikhil Gupta to US – May 23, 2024, PGurus.com
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