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NEW DELHI: Responding to the case filed against Nikhil Gupta, accused of plotting the murder of Khalistani separatist and terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US court has asked prosecutors to share with the defence the evidence to justify seeking the Indian citizen’s extradition from the Czech Republic where he is imprisoned.
According to information reaching here, a New York federal judge on January 8 asked prosecutors to present evidence supporting their allegations against Gupta while hearing the plea to extradite him.
On January 4, Gupta’s defence requested the court to issue an order directing government to begin providing defence counsel with discovery material. US district judge Victor Marrero directed the government to file its reply to the ‘motion to compel production of discovery’ within three days.
Gupta is being held in a Czech prison at the instance of US agencies which have accused him of plotting a hit on Pannun. Last November, US law enforcement authorities had announced the filing of “murder-for-hire” charges against Gupta aka Nick and claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate Pannun.
‘Gupta’s handler an Indian govt official’
Pannun was not named in the indictment but the chargesheet said Gupta, 52, was directed by an Indian government official whom it referred to only as ‘CC-1’. It said Gupta, who is an Indian national, “is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others”.
“CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has described himself as a ‘senior field officer’ with responsibilities in ‘security management’ and ‘intelligence’, and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving ‘officer training’ in ‘battle craft and weapons’,” the indictment said.
It added that CC-1 had directed the assassination plot from India. Gupta’s family has claimed that he has been kept in solitary confinement as US agencies have cited threat to his life. His family had moved SC. His lawyer had alleged that Gupta had been detained illegally. However, SC refused to intervene.
According to information reaching here, a New York federal judge on January 8 asked prosecutors to present evidence supporting their allegations against Gupta while hearing the plea to extradite him.
On January 4, Gupta’s defence requested the court to issue an order directing government to begin providing defence counsel with discovery material. US district judge Victor Marrero directed the government to file its reply to the ‘motion to compel production of discovery’ within three days.
Gupta is being held in a Czech prison at the instance of US agencies which have accused him of plotting a hit on Pannun. Last November, US law enforcement authorities had announced the filing of “murder-for-hire” charges against Gupta aka Nick and claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate Pannun.
‘Gupta’s handler an Indian govt official’
Pannun was not named in the indictment but the chargesheet said Gupta, 52, was directed by an Indian government official whom it referred to only as ‘CC-1’. It said Gupta, who is an Indian national, “is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others”.
“CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has described himself as a ‘senior field officer’ with responsibilities in ‘security management’ and ‘intelligence’, and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving ‘officer training’ in ‘battle craft and weapons’,” the indictment said.
It added that CC-1 had directed the assassination plot from India. Gupta’s family has claimed that he has been kept in solitary confinement as US agencies have cited threat to his life. His family had moved SC. His lawyer had alleged that Gupta had been detained illegally. However, SC refused to intervene.
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