Nikhil Gupta Extradited: Unmasking the Murder-for-Hire Allegations

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of plotting the murder of Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic. Gupta, arrested last year, allegedly acted under instructions from an Indian official. India denies involvement and has initiated an investigation.

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, implicated in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting a Sikh extremist on American soil, has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic, according to media reports.

Gupta, aged 52, faced arrest in the Czech Republic last year following a request by the US government. He stands accused of conspiring to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen, in New York.

The Czech Constitutional Court dismissed Gupta's petition against his extradition to the US last month. US federal prosecutors claim Gupta followed directives from an unidentified Indian government official.

India has rebutted claims of involvement and launched a high-level probe into the allegations. Gupta is now held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Centre, awaiting his appearance before a federal court in New York.

The Washington Post first broke news of Gupta's extradition, revealing he arrived in New York over the weekend. Typically, extradited defendants are required to appear in court within 24 hours of arrival.

Prosecutors assert that Gupta hired a hitman to execute Pannun and advanced USD 15,000 for the job. Gupta, through his lawyer, denies the charges, arguing they are baseless.

Attorney Rohini Musa, representing Gupta, filed a petition with the Indian Supreme Court, alleging unfair prosecution and insufficient evidence linking her client to the plotted assassination.

Musa also criticized the legal advice Gupta received from a Czech government-appointed attorney, suggesting undue US influence. She accused the US and India of shifting blame over the incident as part of their foreign policy maneuvers.

Gupta's extradition occurs just ahead of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's visit to New Delhi for the iCET dialogue with Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

Reports in April 2024 from The Washington Post implicated Vikram Yadav, a Research and Analysis Wing officer, and former R&AW chief Samant Goel in sanctioning the assassination plot. India's Ministry of External Affairs refuted the claims as baseless and pledged an inquiry based on the US evidence.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)