The Supreme Court of India has directed the family of Nikhil Gupta, accused by US federal prosecutors of planning to assassinate Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, to approach the court in the Czech Republic, where Gupta is currently detained. The court stated that the matter is "extremely sensitive" and advised the family to address any violation of the law through the Czech court system. The family had filed a writ petition seeking the Supreme Court's intervention against Gupta's "illegal arrest and ongoing extradition proceedings." The court will take up the plea for hearing on January 4, 2023. Gupta was detained at Prague Airport on June 30, and an indictment in the US District Court accuses him of planning to kill Pannun in New York.
Key Points:
1. The Supreme Court on Friday directed the family of Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national accused by US federal prosecutors of plotting to assassinate Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, to approach the court in the Czech Republic where Gupta is presently detained.
2. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and S.V.N. Bhatti considered a writ petition filed by a family member seeking urgent intervention against Gupta’s "illegal arrest and ongoing extradition proceedings."
3. The court deemed the matter "extremely sensitive" and advised the petitioner to first approach the court in the Czech Republic, where Gupta is detained, if there are any violations of the law.
4. The Supreme Court scheduled the plea for hearing on January 4 next year and instructed the petitioner to serve a copy of the petition to the central agency in the meantime.
5. The US District Court brought an indictment against Gupta for allegedly planning and directing a plot from India to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Pannun in New York.
6. The petition to the Supreme Court highlighted concerns about Gupta's safety in Czech prison, given the influence of the US on Czech authorities.
7. The extradition proceedings in Prague were accused of procedural failures, including the absence of an arrest warrant, lack of fair representation, and denial of basic rights, compromising the fairness of the trial.
8. Allegations were made that Gupta, detained at Prague Airport on June 30, was subjected to forced consumption of beef and pork, denied consular access, the right to contact family in India, and freedom to seek legal representation.
9. The petitioner sought the appointment of legal counsel in both the Czech Republic and the US, emphasizing the language barrier and inadequate representation during the extradition trial in Prague.
10. The Supreme Court directed the family to pursue legal remedies in the Czech Republic and scheduled a hearing on the matter for January 4, 2023.
(With Agency Inputs)
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