The 52-year-old Indian national allegedly planned to murder US citizen Pannun in New York City. As a result of the bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic, he was apprehended by Czech authorities on June 30.
Nikhil Gupta has gained widespread attention due to US accusations that India was involved in an unsuccessful plot to assassinate an unidentified Khalistani separatist, who is believed to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The 52-year-old Indian national allegedly planned to murder US citizen Pannun in New York City.
As a result of the bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic, he was apprehended by Czech authorities on June 30. The US Justice Department charged an Indian man on Wednesday for "his involvement in a failed plan to kill a US citizen of Indian origin in New York".
In the most recent development, Arindam Bagchi, a spokesman for the external affairs ministry, said on Thursday that India is extremely concerned about a case filed in a US court connecting a person to an Indian official.
In response to the US Justice Department's charge of an Indian national suspected of being involved in a foiled assassination attempt in the US, Bagchi stated that this development goes against official policy and is a "matter of concern".
Who is Nikhil Gupta?
Nikhil Gupta, 52, is an Indian national, according to a press release from the US Justice Department. On June 30, he was taken into custody by the Czech authorities in accordance with the bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic.
An Indian government employee who has not been named in the document but is referred to as CC-1 has been working together with others, including Nikhil Gupta, on a plot to assassinate on US soil an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City.
Nikhil Gupta has been described as an associate of CC-1. Gupta mentioned his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others, the document said. Nikhil Gupta was recruited by CC-1 in May 2023 to "orchestrate the assassination", it said.
The document said that Nikhil Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate for assistance in contracting a hitman in New York. But both the person and the alleged hitman were employed by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). A subsequent agreement was mentioned in the document.
Nikhil Gupta reportedly gave the alleged hitman private data about the target in June after receiving it. The document referenced the Canadian murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and claimed that Nikhil Gupta informed the alleged hitman, an undercover agent, that Nijjar was one of many targets.
According to the document, Nikhil Gupta left India for the Czech Republic on or around June 30 and was detained by the police at the US government's request.
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