Pannun murder plot: Indian accused of attempting to kill Khalistani terrorist extradited to US

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been accusedof being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extradited to the United States, The Washington Post reported on Sunday (June 16) citing people familiar with the development. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of American authorities on charges of being involved in the plot.

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He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday. The Washington Post report on Sunday said that Gupta, 52, arrived in New York over the weekend, and typicallyextradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country.

Gupta's lawyer writes to Indian Supreme Court

Gupta's lawyers have said that their clientis a law-abiding businesspersonunjustly caught in the escalating geopolitical “crossfire” between the US and India.Rohini Musa, one of the attorneys of the 52-year-old, wrote to the Indian Supreme Court saying that her client was being unfairly prosecuted.

In a petition to the Indian top court, Musa said there was nothing on record "to link the petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim.”

She also complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney “under the undue influence of … USAgencies” during the initial phase of his detention.

The lawyer pointed out that Washington and New Delhi were going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy.

What prosecutors said

Earlier, federal prosecutors said that an Indian government intelligence employee ordered the killing of Pannun in May and hired Gupta to arrange the hit.

India has dissociated itself from the plot against Pannun, saying it was against government policy. New Delhisaid it would formally investigate security concerns raised by Washington.

(With inputs from agencies)