PRAGUE, Czech Republic: The Czech Constitutional Court said on Wednesday it had authorized the extradition of an Indian citizen suspected of involvement in an alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States.
Last November, the US Department of Justice accused Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta of plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on US soil.
It alleged that an Indian government official was also involved in planning the plot to kill a US citizen of Indian origin.
The Czech Supreme Court said on Wednesday that it had rejected Gupta’s appeal against lower court verdicts that upheld his extradition.
The release still needs to be approved by the Czech Minister of Justice.
Gupta was detained at Prague Airport on June 30, 2023, based on an extradition warrant issued by the US Department of Justice.
The Justice Department said the man allegedly targeted in the killing “is a vocal critic of the Indian government and heads a US-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab,” a northern Indian state with a large Sikh population.
India’s foreign ministry earlier said it had set up a “high-level” inquiry committee to look into the case.
