Indian National Nikhil Gupta Extradited to US in Pannun Murder Case

For the connections with a murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the US

Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman and paid $15,000 in advance to carry out the assassination of Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Gupta, 52, was arrested last year in Prague at the request of the US government. The Washington Post was the first to report his extradition, noting that he arrived in New York over the weekend. Typically, extradited defendants appear in court within a day of their arrival. Gupta is currently detained at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn and may appear before a federal court in New York on Monday. According to federal prosecutors, Gupta travelled from India to Prague last June, where he was arrested by Czech authorities based on US allegations. The prosecution of Pannun alleges that an unnamed Indian government official was involved in the plot.

Gupta’s attorney, Rohini Musa, has argued that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, claiming there is no evidence linking him to the assassination of Pannun. Musa also criticized the legal advice Gupta received from a Czech government-appointed attorney, alleging undue influence from US agencies during his initial detention. This case has broader implications in international relations, particularly as it coincides with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s visit to New Delhi for the annual ICET dialogue. The matter is expected to be discussed with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval. The extradition of Gupta follows allegations by Canadian intelligence agencies in September 2023 linking the Indian government to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, an accusation India has denied. These developments underscore the complex and sensitive nature of international legal and diplomatic interactions involving allegations of politically motivated violence.

[Image Source: IAS Gyan]