Indian Man Gupta Extradited To US Over Assassination Plot

An Indian man, Nikhil Gupta who was accused of plotting to kill an American citizen in New York has been extradited to the United States, Washington Post report.

Nikhil Gupta was charged by U.S. authorities last year for allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist leader based in the U.S.

Gupta was detained in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the U.S. and imprisoned in Prague.

Last month, his appeal against extradition to the U.S. was dismissed by the Czech Constitutional Court.

Prison records indicate he is currently incarcerated at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.

He is scheduled to appear in a federal court in New York on Monday. If convicted, he will face a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

According to Prosecutors, Gupta paid $100,000 in cash to a hitman to carry out the assassination of Pannun. The hitman, however, turned out to be an undercover federal agent.

U.S. authorities claimed that Gupta was acting under the direction of an unnamed Indian government official who was not charged in the indictment.

The Indian government denied any involvement in the alleged assassination plot.
Pannun, at the center of the alleged U.S. murder plot, holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship and resides in New York.
He serves as general counsel for Sikhs for Justice, a U.S.-based organisation supporting the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent homeland for Sikhs, who comprise about 2% of India’s population.
In November, the White House stated it had raised concerns about the alleged assassination plot against Pannun with Indian officials at the highest levels.
But Indian officials denied any connection to the plot, stressing that such actions were contrary to government policy.