New York: A New York court has ordered the federal government to respond to a motion filed by lawyers of Nikhil Gupta, seeking material relating to charges against him in connection with the alleged plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has been designated as terrorist by the Narendra Modi government. on American soil.
The legal proceedings kicked off on January 4 when Gupta’s legal team submitted a motion, urging the court to compel the release of discovery materials.
“On January 4, 2024, defence counsel filed a motion to compel production of discovery, requesting that the Court enter an order directing the Government to begin providing defense counsel with discovery material. The Court hereby directs the government to file a reply to the Motion to Compel within three days of the date of this order,” US District Judge Victor Marrero said in the January 8 order.
The 52-year-old Delhi-based businessman was apprehended by Czech authorities on June 30, 2023, facilitated by the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic, in connection with the alleged foiled plot to eliminate Pannun, , a dual citizen of the US and Canada. An indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, claimed that Gupta had collaborated with an individual linked to the Indian government to execute the unsuccessful plan.
It said Gupta “is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has described himself as a ‘senior field officer’ with responsibilities in ‘security management’ and ‘intelligence’, and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving ‘officer training’ in ‘battle craft and weapons’.”
The indictment suggests that CC-1 orchestrated the assassination plot from India.
Gupta has been charged with murder-for-hire, an offence which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Matthew G. Olsen was quoted by PTI as saying.
The Joe Biden administration, however, said that it provide the information only upon his appearance in a New York court and arraignment in the case, the report added.
Meanwhile, a petition was filed on behalf of Gupta in the Supreme Court of India for consular access, legal aid and ongoing extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic. A bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, however, said this is a “sensitive” matter and it is for the central government to take a call if it wants to intervene on the issue.
