On 8th January (local time), the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, directed the US Prosecutors to begin providing defence counsel with discovery material. The prosecutors have to file a reply within three days of the day of the order.
#BREAKING: Khalistani Terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun Assassination Plot: In a setback to US Prosecutors in extradition of Nikhil Gupta from Czech, New York Federal Judge on Jan 8 Ordered US Prosecutors to produce documentary evidence on "murder for hire" charge against Gupta. pic.twitter.com/Y1iOvAKloV
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 9, 2024
The order came after the defence counsel filed a motion to compel the discovery production on 4th January. Nikhil Gupta was arrested in Prague six months ago on 30th June 2023, allegedly based on the inputs from the US claiming he was involved in the assassination plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun is a terrorist wanted in India under the UAPA law. but he has been under the protection of the US government.
The US government sought the extradition of Gupta, currently under custody in the Czech Republic in December 2023. The Czech Ministry of Justice verified 52-year-old Gupta’s extradition request.
#BreakingNews: New York federal judge on Jan 8th directs US Prosecutors to present documentary evidence supporting a higher murder charge for Nikhil Gupta. Government response due within 3 days
— News18 (@CNNnews18) January 10, 2024
Exclusive input: @manojkumargupta#GurpatwantSinghPannun| @anjalipandey06 pic.twitter.com/U0crgmohmI
A representative for the Czech Ministry of Justice, Vladimir Repka, revealed that Nikhil Gupta was captured at the US government’s request, after which it made an extradition request. The US authorities have detailed the charges against him, including conspiracy to “murder for hire.” They submitted the extradition request in August 2023, citing the accusation above.
Gupta was sent to solitary confinement following a threat to life
Reportedly, Gupta was sent to solitary confinement after a threat to his life was received via an email to the jail authorities. As per the Indian Express report, an email was written by the head of the prison guard department of the Prison Service of the Czech Republic, Rudolf Sedlacek, to the Municipal Court in the last week of October 2023. In the email, he revealed that Gupta was facing a threat to life and requested an appearance in court via video conferencing.
While the Czech prison authorities refused to comment on the matter, Gupta’s lawyer in Prague, Petr Slepika, told Indian Express that Gupta was indeed kept in solitary confinement. He said, “Yes, he is now in a cell alone. Two prison guards always accompany him whenever he moves outside his cell. Even when I have to meet him now, a glass wall separates him and me.”
Accusations of plotting assaissnation of Pannun
Nikhil Gupta is being prosecuted with charges of murderer for hire, a crime which carries a potential 10-year sentence. According to the claims of the Justice Department, an Indian government employee known as CC-1 was in charge of the murder plot from India. Nikhil Gupta is also believed to be involved in the global trafficking of drugs and firearms. Furthermore, he allegedly attempted to hire a hitman who was an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.
“An Indian government employee, working together with others, including Gupta, in India and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on US soil an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City,” claimed a statement released by the US officials. He had allegedly given an assassin $100,000 to carry out the murder with a $15,000 down payment already received on 9 June of this year. However, the person he reached out to recruit the hitman was a confidential informant for US law enforcement.
New Delhi responded to the accusation and asserted that it was against government policy and was concerned that one of its officials was associated with the conspiracy. Afterwards, the Indian government formed a high-level inquiry committee to probe into “all the relevant aspects of the matter.”
Notably, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated Khalistani terrorist and founder of the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice, has repeatedly threatened India with terrorist actions, including blowing up an Air India flight as well as attacking the Indian parliament as a retaliation for the alleged plan of the Indian government to eliminate him. He described himself as a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. However, no action has been taken against him by either nation despite his regular terror threats and assaults on Indians, including diplomats living on their soil by his followers and supporters.
