International Courant
An Indian citizen has been extradited to the US on expenses that he orchestrated a plot to assassinate a critic of the Indian authorities in New York Metropolis.
Nikhil Gupta is accused of paying a hitman to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pacesetter of Sikhs for Justice, which advocates the creation of a sovereign Sikh state.
Gupta, 52, was arrested within the Czech Republic late final yr. He’s charged with homicide for rent and conspiracy to commit homicide for rent. He appeared in Manhattan federal court docket on Monday and pleaded not responsible to the costs.
A member of the United Hindu Entrance group holds a banner with the picture of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer believed to be dwelling in Canada, throughout a rally alongside a avenue in New Delhi, September 24, 2023.
Arun Sankar/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
“As alleged, the defendant conspired from India to homicide right here in New York Metropolis an American citizen of Indian descent who has publicly advocated the creation of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethno-religious minority group in India,” the assertion mentioned. American lawyer Damian. Williams mentioned this in November, on the time of Gupta’s arrest. “We won’t tolerate makes an attempt to homicide Americans on American soil, and stand prepared to research, thwart and prosecute anybody who seeks to hurt and silence Individuals right here or overseas.”
A job drive led by the Drug Enforcement Administration uncovered the alleged plot to kill Pannun after one other Sikh separatist was killed in Canada, sources aware of the matter advised ABC Information. The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in charge New Delhi for what would change into a world incident.
Nijjar was killed on June 18 close to a Sikh cultural middle in Surrey, British Columbia The Related Press.
In response to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, three Canadians have been arrested final month for Nijjar’s homicide: Karan Brar, 22, of Edmonton; Kamalpreet Singh, 22, of Edmonton; and Karanpreet Singh, 28, of Edmonton.
On this June 2023 picture offered by the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace, an secret agent posing as successful man, left, holds cash he acquired as a partial retainer for homicide throughout a transaction in New York. U.S. officers grew to become conscious within the spring of a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen who advocates the creation of a sovereign Sikh state.
U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace by way of AP, FILE
Like Nijjar, Pannum advocates the creation of Khalistan, an impartial Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab area.
Gupta was directed by an unnamed “senior subject officer” within the Indian authorities with intelligence expertise “to orchestrate the homicide of the sufferer,” based on the indictment filed in November.
The alleged murderer who employed Gupta was really a confidential supply working for U.S. regulation enforcement, the indictment mentioned. In Might 2023, Gupta agreed to pay $100,000 for the homicide, with the US Legal professional’s Workplace sharing images of wads of money exchanged by Gupta as a down cost for the homicide.
Gupta had contested his extradition, however the Czech Constitutional Court docket dominated late final month clearing the way in which for his switch to the US. based on the BBC.
Aleem Agha of ABC Information contributed to this report.
Indian man extradited to US in reference to alleged plot to kill Sikh separatists
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