The Czech Constitutional Court has rejected a petition by Indian national Nikhil Gupta detained in prison in Prague against his extradition to the US to face murder for hire charges in ana alleged assassination attempt on Khalistani extremist on American soil.
Gupta, 52 was charged by the US federal prosecutors in an indictment unsealed in November 2023, with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun who holds dual citizenship in the US. Gupta was arrested in Prague, Czech Republic on June 30, 2023 and is being currently held there. The US government is seeking his extradition to America.
The Czech Constitutional Court heard a petition by Gupta against the extradition. The Czech Constitution did not find any circumstances for which the extradition admissible would lead to a violation of any constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights and freedoms, the court said on May 22, 2024. The court said it ruled that the lower courts had given to aspects that may prevent extradition. It also rejected arguments that the case was political.
For the complainant, this brings the proceedings before the Czech courts to an end. The Constitutional Court said it now confirmed the decision of the general courts on the admissibility of the extradition upholding the Municipal Court and the High Court’s order. The court also upheld the local courts decision to reject Gupta’s release request from pre-trial detention and didn’t accept compensation for detention in the form of monetary guarantee or in the form of monetary guarantee or travel abroad.
Before, the Constitutional Court the applicant said courts did not examine all the essential circumstances that could become an obstacle to the extradition according to the statement. A Czech High Court in January ruled Gupta can be extradited to the US. A final decision on whether to extradite Gupta will be made by Justice minister Pavel Blazek.
The Washington Post, in April 2024, reported that Vikram Yadav an RAW (Research and Analysis) Wing officer was behind the plot. The paper also said that RAW Chef Samant Goel sanctioned the operation. The Indian MEA however, dismissed the report saying that it makes unwarranted claims and unsubstantiated imputations to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun. India has publicly said that a high-level inquiry is looking into evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun.
