The family of Nikhil Gupta, an Indian man who was arrested in Prague for allegedly conspiring with a government official to assassinate a US-based Sikh separatist, has filed a habeas corpus petition in the Supreme Court of India, seeking the government’s intervention in his extradition proceedings.
Gupta, also known as ‘Nick’, is accused of collaborating with others, including an Indian government employee, to direct a plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a leader of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice. The US indictment, which identifies Pannun as “The Victim”, also alleges that Gupta has been involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking.
The plea, filed by his family, claims that Gupta is being illegally detained in Prague, and that he fears for his life. It also alleges “grave violations of fundamental rights”, including “forced consumption of beef and pork” that he found offensive as he is a “devout Hindu and vegetarian”.
The petition states that the arrest was marked by irregularities, with no formal warrant presented, and the apprehension executed by self-claimed US agents rather than local Czech authorities.
The Supreme Court heard the matter on Friday and acknowledged it to be an “extremely sensitive matter” for the Ministry of External Affairs. Justice Sanjiv Khanna first directed the petitioner to “go before the court which is outside India”, making the point that the Supreme Court of India had no jurisdiction over arrests in another country.
Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities on June 30, based on the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic. He faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.