PRAGUE: Czech police said on Monday that they have extradited an Indian citizen, Nikhil Gupta, to the United States over his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on American soil. Gupta was handed over to US authorities on Friday following an extradition request from the US Justice Department, which had charged him in November with the conspiracy.
The US Justice Department has implicated an Indian government official in the alleged assassination plot, targeting a US citizen of Indian origin who is a vocal critic of the Indian government and advocates for the secession of Punjab through a US-based organization.
“The foreigner suspected in the United States of an assassination plot has been in the hands of the US judiciary since Friday,” Czech police stated on X (formerly Twitter), confirming Gupta’s “safe extradition from a Prague airport.” They also posted video footage showing Gupta being escorted onto a plane.
Gupta was apprehended at Prague airport on June 30, 2023, under the extradition orders issued by the US Justice Department. The department alleged that the intended target is a prominent figure opposing the Indian government and leading efforts for Punjab’s independence.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who secured a third term in office last month, pledged to “look into” the case during his visit to the United States in late 2023. India’s foreign ministry has since formed a “high-level” inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
US intelligence agencies have assessed that the assassination plot was approved by India’s former top spy official, Samant Goel, according to a report by The Washington Post in April.
This case mirrors a similar incident in Canada, which has resulted in a diplomatic standoff between Ottawa and New Delhi. Canadian authorities arrested and charged four Indian nationals in connection with the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a separatist Sikh leader, in Vancouver. Nijjar, an advocate for the Khalistan movement and a Canadian citizen since 2015, was killed outside his Sikh temple on June 18, 2023.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later announced that Canada had “credible allegations” linking Indian intelligence to Nijjar’s assassination. India dismissed these allegations as “absurd” and retaliated by temporarily restricting visas for Canadians and demanding Ottawa reduce its diplomatic presence in India.
