Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
WASHINGTON DC, 21sth Jan. Czech Republic High Court on Saturday has ruled that Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who has been charged in the alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York can be extradited to the US.
Czech Republic Justice Minister Pavel Blazek has the final decision on his extradition to the US, according to the court papers
According to the news media reports a timeframe on when Mr. Gupta will be extradited to the US is yet not finalized and Gupta is likely to take all the legal steps to stop his extradition.
Gupta was arrested by Czech Republican authorities in June last year when travelled to Prague, described as a dreaded international narcotics trafficker by the US.
US Prosecutors last November charged him in an unsealed indictment in connection with the legend plot to assassinate the Khalistani terrorist Pannun wanted in India.
According to Czech Republic media reports, Gupta argued in the court that it was a case of mistaken identity and that he was not the man US was looking for.
The high court’s decision in Gupta’s extradition case can be challenged in the Czech Supreme Court.
The development came days after the US government objected to Gupta’s request to provide him with defence material.
US said that it will provide the requested information to Gupta, who remains in the custody of Czech Republic authorities, only after he appears in the New York court.
Gupta’s lawyer had filed a ‘Motion to Compel Production of Discovery’ on January 4 in the US District Court, Southern District of New York.
He sought the court’s direction in his plea to federal prosecutors to provide him “the defence materials relevant to its ability to defend the instant charges.”
US District Court had given the government three days’ time to respond to the motion.
US government said that his request should be denied during the pendency of his extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic responded to the court’s order.
