Pannun murder plot: US govt refuses to produce proof against Indian national despite court ruling

In spite of a court order, the US administrationhas refused to produce material to prove allegations against Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been detained for an alleged plot tokill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. Washington saidit would provide the information only upon his appearance in a New York court and arraignment in the case, Indian news agency PTI reported.

Earlier, acourt had asked the Biden administrationto respond to a motion filed by lawyers of Gupta seeking material relating to charges against him.

US District Judge Victor Marrero said in a court order that on January 4, defence counsel filed a motion to compel production of discovery, and directing the government to begin providing defence counsel with such discovery material.

"The Court hereby directs the government to file a reply to the Motion to Compel within three days of the date of this order," the judge had said.

The charges against Nikhil Gupta

Federal prosecutors in the US had charged that Gupta, 52, was working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun. According to US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Matthew G. Olsen, Gupta had been charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, both of which carry a 10-year-prison sentence.

Prosecutors said that Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, 2023, under the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.

India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate allegations, PTI reported.

Pannun has been charged in India for advocating separatism and holding referendums overseas to carve out an independent Sikh state- Khalistan. In November last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a case against him under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 and sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The case was filed after the Khalistani terrorist threatened flag carrier Air India's passengers in a video, saying that their lives were in danger.

New Delhi had listed Pannun as an "individual terrorist" in 2020 for what it said is challenging India's security by financing violence and issuing appeals to "Punjab-based gangsters and youth" to fight for Khalistan. An arrest warrant has also been issued against him.

(With inputs from agencies)