If convicted after his extradition, Nikhil Gupta faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Czech Republic has extradited an Indian man, Nikhil Gupta, to the United States for his alleged involvement in a failed plot to kill a Sikh separatist. Gupta, who is accused by US federal prosecutors of conspiring to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a proponent of a sovereign Sikh state in northern India, was arrested in Prague last year after traveling from India. Despite Gupta’s denial of any involvement, Czech authorities rejected his petition to avoid extradition to the US.
The extradition, approved by Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek two weeks ago, has strained diplomatic relations between the US, Canada, and India. The alleged plot against Pannun is part of a larger pattern of violence against religious minorities in India, according to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. While Canada has pursued allegations linking India’s government to the killing of another Sikh separatist leader, India has distanced itself from such actions.
Shaky diplomatic ties
New Delhi’s concerns about Sikh separatist groups outside India have become a major point of contention, with the West viewing India as a counter to China’s influence. Despite reassurance from India that it will investigate the security concerns raised by Washington, the situation remains delicate.
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