Indian suspect pleads not guilty in plot to kill Sikh separatist in New York
- Nikhil Gupta, who was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic, is accused of plotting to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
An Indian national extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic pleaded not guilty on Monday to involvement in an alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader on US soil.
Nikhil Gupta, 52, who was detained at Prague airport in June 2023 on a US warrant, arrived in the United States on Friday.
Gupta appeared before a federal magistrate judge in New York on Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder-for-hire, according to court filings.
“This extradition makes clear that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
“Nikhil Gupta will now face justice in an American courtroom for his involvement in an alleged plot, directed by an employee of the Indian government, to target and assassinate a US citizen for his support of the Sikh separatist movement in India,” Garland added.