A man arrested in the foiled murder for hire plot of a Sikh separatist in New York has been extradited from the Czech Republic, reports Newsweek.
Nikhil Gupta, 52, is currently sitting in a federal detention cell in Brooklyn and is expected to appear in court sometime Monday, June 17 in lower Manhattan to face charges.
The BBC reports that on Monday, the Czech Republic confirmed Gupta had been extradited over the weekend after authorities apprehended him there last year.
Prosecutors say an undercover agent was paid $100,000 to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who had been designated a terrorist by India. Pannun is an attorney with Sikhs for Justice and denies any connection to terrorists.
Arab News reports that Pannun told Reuters he welcomes the extradition but believes Gupta is just a “foot soldier” and that those who hired Pannun are in the upper level of Indian government.
In related news, Tuesday, June 18 is the one-year anniversary of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the evidence points to the Indian government’s involvement in that murder. India has denied the accusation.
A prayer vigil that began on Sunday for Nijjar will continue through tomorrow, reports CBC.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
We are supported through donations and such charitable organizations as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. All donations are tax deductible and can be made here.
Please purchase your tickets to our fundraiser Up Close with Connie Chung, America’s first Asian American to anchor a nightly network newscast. The in-depth conversation with Connie will be held November 14 at 7:30 at Columbia University’s Milbank Chapel in the Teacher’s College. All proceeds benefit AsAmNews.
