Pannun murder plot: Nikhil Gupta extradited to US from Czech Republic

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh separatist in the USA, has been extradited from Czech Republic, US media reports said on Sunday (June 16).

Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen, in New York. Pannun holds dual American and Canadian citizenship.

He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday (June 17).

Gupta in New York

Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is listed as an inmate. The Washington Post was the first news outlet to report his extradition.

“Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country,” the daily reported.

Charge against Gupta

Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid USD 15,000 in advance. They allege that an unnamed Indian government official was involved in it.

The Washington Post in April 2024 reported that Vikram Yadav, a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer, was the Indian official behind the plot. The paper also said the then R&AW chief Samant Goel sanctioned the operation.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, however, dismissed the report, saying it makes “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations” to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun.

Gupta denies charges

Gupta’s extradition comes ahead of the New Delhi visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for the annual ICET dialogue. The issue is expected to be raised by Sullivan before his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

Gupta has, through his attorney, denied the charges and has said he has been “unfairly charged”.

“Gupta’s attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is “nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim”, The Washington Post said.

“Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney “under the undue influence of … US Agencies” during the initial phase of his detention. She said India and the United States were “going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy,” the daily reported.

The Czech Constitutional Court last month rejected a petition by Gupta against his extradition to the US to face the charges.

(With agency inputs)