Pannun case: Prague court okays Gupta’s extradition

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 20

The High Court of Prague has approved the extradition to the US of Nikhil Gupta, alias Nick, an Indian accused by the US government of involvement in an attempt to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.

“All file material in the case will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice. Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek will decide whether or not to allow Mr Gupta’s extradition to the US at a later date,” Czech Justice Ministry spokesperson Vladimir Repka said, according to the local media.

“If the Minister of Justice has doubts about the correctness of the court’s decision in a given matter, he can submit a proposal to the Supreme Court to review their decision within three months from the day the matter is submitted to the ministry,” added the spokesperson.

The Prague court was hearing Nikhil Gupta’s appeal against a lower court ruling that extradition is allowed.

Gupta was arrested by the Czech authorities when he arrived at Prague at the request of the US authorities. The arrest in June was revealed by the US authorities in November when prosecutors unsealed an indictment in New York that accused an Indian government official based in Delhi of contacting Gupta to carry out Pannun’s killing. The hitman Gupta hired, however, was a US government informer who helped the FBI abort the plan, according to US prosecutors.

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