Nikhil Gupta, 52, of india, has been accused by the US Justice Department with participation in an alleged assassination plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This revelation comes only a week after a Financial Times story claimed that the US foiled a conspiracy to assassinate Pannun and subsequently "issued a warning" to india over suspicions that New delhi was "involved in the plot" to kill Pannun.

According to a press release issued by the US Justice Department, "an indian government employee, working together with others, including Gupta, in india and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on US soil an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian-origin residing in New York City" earlier this year. The indian government agency employee has alternatively represented himself as a "Senior Field Officer" with responsibilities in "Security Management" and "Intelligence," according to US authorities.

According to US Attorney for the Southern district of New York Matthew G Olsen, if convicted, Gupta could face up to 20 years in prison on each count of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. According to US authorities, Gupta agreed to pay $100,000 to an assassin for the death, with a $15,000 advance payment made on june 9, 2023. The person he called for the hitman, on the other hand, turned out to be a confidential source working with US police enforcement.

"As alleged, the defendant conspired from india to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in india," said US Attorney for the Southern district of New York Damian Williams.

Gupta was seized by Czech officials on june 30, 2023, in accordance with a bilateral extradition arrangement with the US. The exact date of his extradition to face charges in the united states is unknown. Earlier today, india announced the formation of a high-level investigation team to look into claims of a plot to assassinate the Sikh extremist on American territory.

According to Arindam Bagchi, spokesman for the External Affairs Ministry, the US side shared some "inputs" pertaining to the nexus between organised criminals, gun runners, and terrorists, and that india takes such inputs seriously because they impact "our national security interests as well," and that relevant departments are investigating the issue.

On november 18, india formed a high-level inquiry committee to look into all pertinent elements of the case, he added.
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Khalistani

G GOWTHAM

30/11/2023 08:48 AM