Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of involvement in the murder plot of Khalistani terrorist and U.S. citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic. This information was confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons website and a source familiar with the matter, according to Reuters.
A search on the Bureau of Prisons website by inmate name revealed that Nikhil Gupta, 52, is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility. An independent source also confirmed Nikhil Gupta’s extradition and detention in Brooklyn.
Last month, a Czech court rejected Nikhil Gupta’s petition to avoid extradition to the U.S., leading to the Czech justice minister authorizing his transfer. Nikhil Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, following U.S. allegations of his involvement in a conspiracy to commit murder. U.S. federal prosecutors assert that Nikhil Gupta was part of a plot to hire a hitman to kill a U.S. citizen, allegedly directed by an Indian government official. The target was identified as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Nikhil Gupta’s extradition precedes the visit of U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to New Delhi for the annual ICET dialogue. It is anticipated that Jake Sullivan will discuss this matter with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval.
India has denied any involvement in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun murder plot and has set up a probe committee to investigate the allegations made by the U.S. authorities. Through his attorney, Nikhil Gupta has also denied the charges, asserting that he has been “unfairly charged.”
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada, is wanted in India on terror charges and has been designated a terrorist by the Union Home Minister under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
This case continues to develop as Nikhil Gupta awaits trial in the U.S. and as diplomatic discussions between the U.S. and India progress.
