An Indian citizen accused of involvement in a murder-for-hire plot targeting a US-Canadian citizen in New York City has been extradited to the United States to face trial. Nikhil Gupta, 52, pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court after being extradited from the Czech Republic. The charges against him include attempting to hire someone to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco described the alleged plot as a brazen attempt to silence a political activist exercising his freedom of speech. Gupta is said to have conspired with an Indian government employee to target Pannun, who advocates for a sovereign state for Sikhs, considered a terrorist group by the Indian government.
