Indian national Nikhil Gupta extradited in Pannun foiled murder plot: What's the impact on Indo-US ties?
Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, has been extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States in connection with an alleged foiled plot to murder Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This extradition has brought renewed attention to the case against Gupta, who allegedly hired a hitman at the behest of an Indian government official. The US Department of Justice claims Pannun was targeted for exercising his freedom of speech in America. Gupta has pleaded not guilty.
Gupta's extradition was approved by Czech authorities on June 3 but was made public just before the visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to India. Sullivan’s visit, primarily aimed at reviewing the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, was overshadowed by the developments in the Gupta case. Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek announced the extradition the same day Sullivan landed in India. Subsequently, a group of Democrat senators wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding a stronger response to the alleged Indian involvement in the plot.
According to the US Department of Justice, Pannun is a dual US-Canadian national and political activist. They assert that «Pannun is an American national and political activist who was targeted for exercising a 'quintessential American right: his freedom of speech.'»
Nikhil Gupta, in response to the allegations, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
The extradition of Gupta coincided with a series of events
