 "Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun")
The Czech Republic has extradited Nikhil Gupta, a 52-year-old suspect wanted by the United States for his alleged role in a foiled plot to assassinate pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This development was confirmed through the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
Gupta, accused by US federal prosecutors of conspiring with an Indian government official to carry out the assassination on American soil, was apprehended by Czech authorities in June 2023 upon arriving from India.
After a court in the Czech Republic rejected his appeal to avoid extradition to the US, clearing the path for the Justice Minister to proceed, Gupta's current location has been identified. He is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility, according to records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Neither the US Department of Justice nor Gupta's attorney, Jeffrey Chabrowe, have provided immediate comments on these latest developments.
The extradition case has strained diplomatic relations, highlighting tensions over alleged assassination attempts against pro-Khalistani figures in the US and Canada, with implications for India. The Indian government has consistently denied involvement in these plots.
In 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused "agents working for the Indian government" of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another pro-Khalistani figure. Similarly, US authorities disclosed that an Indian official was implicated in the plot to kill Pannun, who holds citizenship in both the US and Canada. Responding to these allegations, Pannun dismissed Nikhil Gupta as merely a "foot soldier."
India has distanced itself from any involvement in these alleged plots, asserting that such actions contradict its official stance. The government pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into the security concerns raised by Washington.
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Washington, while acknowledging India's initial steps towards ensuring accountability, has stressed the need for further measures. Meanwhile, New Delhi has long expressed concerns over the resurgence of the Khalistani movement outside India, a radical group advocating for an independent Sikh state separate from India.
