Gurpatwant Singh Pannun case: Nikhil Gupta may be extradited to US from Prague

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun assassination plot: The Czech constitutional court said on Wednesday that it has allowed the extradition of Indian citizen, Nikhil Gupta, who is in the custody of Czech authorities, and is a suspect in the murder plot against Khalistani separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on US soil, to the US. 

According to a report by news agency AFP, the Czech court said on Wednesday that it had rejected Gupta’s appeal against verdicts passed by lower courts approving his extradition to the US. The extradition to the US will need to be approved by the justice minister, which is yet to be done. 

The US Justice Department charged Gupta last November with plotting to kill Pannun on US soil. Gupta was detained at Prague airport on June 30, 2023, under extradition orders issued by the US Justice Department. 

Meanwhile, a recent report by The Washington Post, identified Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer Vikram Yadav as the earlier unnamed person, 'CC-1', who allegedly directed the plot to kill Pannun. Yadav had reportedly hired Gupta to assassinate him. As per the report, the operation was approved by then RAW chief Samant Goel, who was under “extreme pressure to eliminate the alleged threat of Sikh extremists overseas”. 

India has rejected the report and said an investigation is underway. “There is an ongoing investigation of the High Level Committee set up by the government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others. Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” said Randhir Jaiswal, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, on the report.

The US Justice Department said Pannun "is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab”, in reference to their Khalistan activities.