Nikhil Gupta Arrested In Czech Republic For Pannun Murder Plot, Files Habeas Corpus In Supreme Court

Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national who is currently detained in the Czech Republic, on the behest of the US, in connection with the murder-for-hire plot targeting Khalistani Separatist Leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has approached the Supreme Court of India to prevent his extradition.

AP

What the plea said

A habeas corpus plea was filed in the Supreme Court by his family, on Gupta's behalf, asking for the Indian government to intervene in extradition proceedings imitated by the US.

The petition claims that Gupta is a law-abiding Indian citizen who has been illegally detained in Prague. According to Gupta's family, they fear that his life is in danger.

The development came after the Czech Republic confirmed that the US had initiated the process to extradite Gupta, who was detained in June.

REUTERS

How Gupta was arrested

While not much is known about the 52-year-old Gupta's past, the US Justice Department document suggested that he was involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking.

In one of the intercepted conversations between Gupta and his handler in India, said to be a high-ranking government official, identified only as CC-1, the two were discussing some case Gupta had in Gujarat. CC-1, in turn, had assured that his case had been taken care of.

However, earlier this month, Gujarat DGP Vikas Sahay said there are crime records against Gupta in the state.

Gupta, who CC-1 was allegedly directing, had contacted a person in the US, whom he assumed was a hitman, to carry out the murder.

But Gupta's hitman was a US Drug Administration undercover agent who played along with the plot, leading to his arrest in Prague.

What the US said

US federal prosecutors last month accused Gupta of "planning and directing" a plot from India to allegedly kill Pannun, a US citizen in New York.

AP

If found guilty, Gupta could face up to 20 years in a US jail.

How India reacted to the allegations

Unlike in the allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of another Khalistani separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, where India went all out attacking Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, New Delhi has taken a more cautionary approach in the Pannun assassination plot claims.

Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US in the case as the matter has a bearing on national security.

AP

However, at the same time, Jaishankar told Rajya Sabha that there would be "no equitable treatment" to Canada's allegations of the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar as no specific evidence or inputs were provided to India by Ottawa.

"Insofar as Canada is concerned, no specific evidence or inputs were provided to us. So the question of equitable treatment to two countries, one of whom has provided input and one of whom has not, does not arise," he had said.

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