- By Abhishek Sheoran
- Mon, 17 Jun 2024 08:45 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who was nabbed for plotting the assassination of Khalistani separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has reportedly been extradited from the Czech Republic, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons website. 52-year-old Gupta was arrested last year by Czech Republic authorities at the US government’s request over the former’s alleged involvement in Pannun’s foiled murder plot.
Gupta is likely to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. He is currently incarcerated at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is registered as an inmate.
"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," The Washington Post reported.
As per the federal prosecutors, Gupta hired a shooter and paid him $15,000 in advance to kill Pannun. They also alleged that Indian officials were involved in the conspiracy. However, India has refuted such charges and launched a probe based on the evidence provided by the US. Gupta has also said that he was not involved in any such activity and was "unfairly charged".
Gupta’s attorney, Rohini Musa, in a petition filed in the Indian Supreme Court, said the former was unfairly prosecuted and there was nothing on record to link him to an alleged plot of killing someone. She said that Gupta received adverse legal advice from the attorney appointed by the Czech government during the initial phase of the probe.
