Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused in a murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist and the founder of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the US, according to media reports. Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30 last year at the request of the US government.
He is expected to appear before a federal court in New York on Monday. Gupta is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. The Washington Post first reported his extradition, citing anonymous sources.
"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 daily said.
Federal prosecutors allege Gupta hired a hitman and paid $15,000 in advance to kill Pannun. They also claim an unnamed Indian government official was involved. Gupta's extradition coincides with the upcoming visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to New Delhi for the ICET dialogue, where the issue may be discussed with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.
India has denied involvement and has launched an investigation into the allegations. Gupta, through his attorney Rohini Musa, has denied the charges, stating he has been unfairly charged. Musa argued in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that there is no evidence linking Gupta to the alleged plot.
She also claimed Gupta received poor legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney influenced by US agencies during his detention. Rohini Musa also said that the India and the US were "going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy."