Gurpatwant Pannun case: Nikhil Gupta pleads not guilty in US court

New York/Washington, June 17

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, on Monday pleaded not guilty in the case at a federal court here.

Gupta, 52, was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic on Friday.

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

Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe.

The Czech constitutional court last month rejected a petition by Gupta against his extradition to the US to face the charges. US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official.

India has, however, denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted a high-level investigation into the allegations.

“This is a complex matter for both our countries,” Gupta’s attorney Chabrowe said ahead of his client’s arraignment in a federal court here.

Earlier, the Czech Justice Minister confirmed that Gupta has been extradited to the US.