Family Of Indian Accused Of Murder Plot In US Approaches Supreme Court

Nikhil Gupta, the man accused of conspiring with a government official to assassinate United States -based Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has approached the Supreme Court - via his family - asking for the Indian government to intervene in extradition proceedings imitated by the US.

Mr Gupta, an Indian national, is currently behind bars in Prague in the Czech Republic, or Czechia.

Nikhil Gupta, 52, is accused of trying to hire a hitman to assassinate Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist who holds American-Canadian citizenship. However, the 'hitman' turned out to be an undercover American federal agent. Mr Gupta is now in a Czech prison awaiting extradition to the US.

He faces a 20-year jail term if convicted of the murder-for-hire and conspiracy charges. The US has also accused an Indian government employee, whose identity has been withheld at this time.

Responding to the charges, the External Affairs Ministry had said "India takes such inputs seriously, since they impinge on our national security interests as well, and relevant departments are already examining the issue." A high-level inquiry committee has been established, the government said.