A Czech court has agreed for the
extradition of 52 years’ old Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta, who is accused by
the United States of being involved in a plot to murder terrorist Gurpatwant
Singh Pannun on American soil. The decision was announced by the Czech Justice
Ministry, setting the stage for Justice Minister Pavel Blazek to make the final
call once the ruling is formally delivered to all relevant parties in the case.
Gupta, who was apprehended by Czech
authorities in Prague in June of the previous year, faces allegations from US
federal prosecutors, claiming that he collaborated with an Indian Government
official in a scheme to kill Pannun, a Sikh separatist holding dual US and
Canadian citizenship.
Challenging the accusations, Gupta
argued a case of mistaken identity and contended that he was not the person the
United States was pursuing, characterizing the case as “political” and
potentially leading to a protracted legal battle.
A spokesperson from the Czech Justice
Ministry stated, “The time frame for the minister’s decision cannot be assumed
at this point,” as reported by Reuters.
The Justice Minister has a three-month
window to seek the Czech Supreme Court’s opinion if any doubts arise regarding
the lower court’s decisions. The Prague High Court had previously rejected
Gupta’s appeal against a last month ruling by a lower court that permitted
extradition.
The Czech Republic has historically honoured
American extradition requests, but Gupta’s lawyer has urged the Czech court not
to authorize the extradition.
In a December report, the Financial
Times revealed that the case involved a high-ranking Indian official,
identified as “CC-1”, who was accused of orchestrating the assassination plot.
The US Department of Justice claimed in an indictment that CC-1, communicating
with Gupta through encrypted applications, coordinated the murder plan in
exchange for assistance in resolving a criminal case in Bharat.
The US labelled Gupta as an “international
narcotics trafficker” and charged him of allegedly holding in-person meeting with
CC-1 in New Delhi, mentioned the indictment. The agreement reportedly included
a $100,000 payment to an undercover officer, posing as a hitman, for Pannun’s
murder in New York City.
The US Government has stated that
evidence of the charges against Gupta will be presented only when he appears
and is arraigned in a New York City court. If convicted, Gupta faces severe
charges that could result in twin 10-year jail terms.
