Pannun murder plot: SC rejects intervention in Nikhil Gupta's case
PTC Web Desk: The Supreme Court has declined to intervene in the case of Nikhil Gupta, an accused of plotting the killing of a Sikh leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US. US prosecutors charged Gupta with attempting to hire a hitman to kill Pannun. Nikhil Gupta, currently in Prague jail, faces extradition proceedings to the US.
The Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by a confidential relative, urging for Nikhil Gupta's release and a fair trial, citing that it's the responsibility of the Indian government to act. Gupta's lawyer raised concerns about his alleged unlawful detention.
"Reviewing the tenets of public international law and court sovereignty, we find the requests cannot be honoured," said Justice Sanjay Khanna, one of the Bench's judges, regarding the sensitive nature of the case. The order's copy is scheduled for release later on Thursday.
Earlier, the Czech Republic's Ministry of Justice was reported as saying that Indian courts lacked jurisdiction in Nikhil Gupta's case. Gupta came to limelight in November last when US prosecutors accused him of conspiring to kill four Sikh separatists in North America, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Prosecutors claimed that Nikhil Gupta pledged $100,000 (£79,000) to a hitman, purportedly for Pannun's killing, a dual US-Canadian citizen, in New York. However, prosecutors asserted that the hitman was, in fact, an undercover federal agent.
Allegedly, Nikhil Gupta received instructions from an unnamed Indian government official, unmentioned or charged in the indictment. If convicted, Nikhil Gupta could face a maximum prison term of 20 years based on the charges.
Notably, India has labelled Pannun 'a terrorist', an accusation he refutes, asserting himself as an activist advocating for the Khalistan movement, seeking a separate Sikh homeland.
The petition lodged in India alleged that Nikhil Gupta was apprehended by purported US federal agents and has yet to receive a fair trial. It also claimed he was held in solitary confinement and compelled to consume beef and pork, violating his religious beliefs.
According to the Supreme Court Judges, under international law, Gupta would be eligible for consular aid from India. However, senior advocate C Aryama Sundaram, representing Gupta's relative, highlighted that consular access was provided only before the extradition order. He stated that his client required "some cooperation" from India's foreign ministry.
Subsequently, the court indicated that Gupta was at liberty to approach the Indian government for assistance.
Notably, the allegations against Nikhil Gupta emerged following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's mention of "credible allegations" tying Indian government agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia. India dismissed these claims as "absurd."
However, India has expressed willingness to investigate any evidence regarding its purported involvement in the US assassination plot.
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