New Delhi: The family of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of allegedly plotting the assassination of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on his behalf has sought the intervention of the Indian government to release him from prison in the Czech Republic, reported Live Law.
Gupta’s family has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court.
US federal prosecutors last month charged Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh extremist who is an American and Canadian citizen. An unnamed Indian official also appeared in an indictment along with the Indian national, who the Department of Justice alleges hired someone in the US to assassinate Pannun.
India Today reported that the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic has confirmed the arrest and provisional custody of Nikhil Gupta. The action was taken at the behest of the US.
Vladimir Repka, a spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Justice, said Gupta was arrested at the request of the US, which later submitted an extradition request. The charges against Gupta include conspiracy to murder for hire, as detailed by US authorities, the report added.
India has described as a “matter of concern” the US linking the Indian official to a man charged with conspiring to kill Pannun, and asserted that follow-up action will be taken based on findings of an inquiry panel investigating the allegations.
India has already constituted a probe team to investigate the allegations.
US Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer, who was in India earlier this month, conveyed to New Delhi the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible in the probe announced by India to investigate the alleged Indian link to the incident.
As Finer wrapped up his high-profile visit to India, the White House said Finer “acknowledged” India’s establishment of a committee of enquiry to investigate the “lethal plotting” and underlined the need for holding accountable those responsible.
