“Indian Accused in US Murder Plot Can be Extradited, Rules Czech Court: Latest Updates on Nikhil Gupta and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun”

Accident – death – Obituary News : Czech Court Approves Extradition of Indian Man Accused in US Murder Plot

New Delhi: A Czech court has given the green light for the extradition of Nikhil Gupta, a 52-year-old Indian man accused by the United States of being involved in an alleged plot to murder Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, according to a recent Reuters report. The decision was announced by the Czech Justice Ministry on Friday, with Justice Minister Pavel Blazek set to make the final call after the ruling is delivered to all relevant parties in the case.

Gupta, who has been in custody since June of last year in Prague, is facing accusations from US federal prosecutors of collaborating with an Indian government official in a scheme to kill Pannun, a Sikh separatist with dual US and Canadian citizenship.

In his defense, Gupta argued that there was a case of mistaken identity and contested that he was not the person the United States was seeking. He labeled the case as “political” in nature, setting the stage for what could potentially become a lengthy legal battle.

“The time frame for the minister’s decision cannot be assumed at this point,” stated a spokesperson from the Czech Justice Ministry, as quoted by news agency Reuters.

If any doubts arise concerning the lower court’s decisions, the Justice Minister has a three-month window to seek the opinion of the Czech Supreme Court, according to the ministry spokesperson. Gupta’s appeal against a December ruling by a lower court, which allowed for his extradition, was previously dismissed by the Prague High Court.

The Czech Republic has historically approved American extradition requests. However, Gupta’s lawyer has urged the Czech court to refrain from authorizing the extradition.

In December of last year, the Financial Times reported that the case involved a high-ranking Indian official, referred to as “CC-1,” who was accused of orchestrating the assassination plot. The US Department of Justice, in an indictment, stated that CC-1 communicated with Gupta through encrypted applications and orchestrated the murder plan in exchange for assistance with resolving a criminal case in India.

According to the indictment, Gupta, who is labeled an “international narcotics trafficker” by the US, allegedly met CC-1 in person in New Delhi to further advance the plot. The agreement reportedly involved a $100,000 payment to an undercover officer posing as a hitman for Pannun’s murder in New York City.

The US government has indicated that it will only present evidence of the charges against Gupta once he appears and is arraigned in a New York City court.

Gupta, who is accused of conspiring with the unnamed Indian government official to hire an undercover federal agent for the assassination, faces severe charges that could result in twin 10-year jail terms if convicted.

The extradition ruling has raised significant interest and concern in both India and the United States. The case is likely to continue to unfold in the coming months as the final decision rests with Justice Minister Pavel Blazek..