“The extradition to the US was authorised for criminal prosecution on suspicion of committing the crime of conspiracy to commit a murder for hire with the intent to cause death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 1958(a), and the crime of murder for hire with the intent to cause death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, 1958(a),” Vladimir Repka, spokesperson in ministry of Justice Czech Republic, told ET.
As per reports, Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York, and is likely to be produced in court on Monday. The development comes as US NSA Jake Sullivan is visiting India for iCET Review.
Repka explained, “After the final and binding decision of the Municipal Court in Prague dated November 23, 2023, in conjunction with the decision of the High Court in Prague dated January 8, 2024, regarding the admissibility of the extradition of Nikhil Gupta for criminal prosecution to the United States of America, the minister of Justice of the Czech Republic authorised the extradition of Nikhil Gupta to the United States of America by a decision dated June 3, 2024.”
Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun. US Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun. India has denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted an investigation into the allegations. Gupta, through his attorney, has denied the charges and has said that he has been “unfairly charged”.
