Indian Supreme Court rejects plea by Nikhil Gupta, accused by US in Pannun murder plot

The Supreme Court on Thursday (Jan 4) rejected a plea filed by the family member of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused by the US of plotting to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Under the petition, Gupta requested the court to grant consular access and legal aid to challenge his indictment and extradition.  

The Indian court said the case was delicate and it could not intervene or grant consular access to Gupta to challenge his indictment as it respected the jurisdiction of a foreign court. 

“Considering the public international law and comity of courts, we can’t intervene,” the Supreme Court said.

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The Habeas Corpus petition was filed by Gupta’s family last month on his behalf wherein he claimed that the Czech prison authorities forced him to consume beef and pork, despite being a devout Hindu. 

Gupta also claimed that he was denied consular access, the right to contact his family in India and the freedom to seek legal representation. 

“The circumstances (of the arrest in Prague) were marked by irregularities, with no formal arrest warrant presented, and the apprehension executed by self-claimed US agents rather than local Czech authorities,” the petition stated. 

According to Vladimir Repka, a spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Justice, Gupta was arrested at the request of the US which later also submitted an extradition request.

Washington alleged last year that Gupta attempted to kill Pannun after he was assured by an Indian government official that a purported Gujarat case against him would be taken care of.

Described as CC-1 in the US Justice Department papers, Gupta has also been accused of dabbling in international narcotics and weapons trafficking.

“The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs,” Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, said in a statement.

Gupta is charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Each count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.

The allegations by the US came in the backdrop of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claiming he had ‘credible allegations’ that New Delhi was involved in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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