The Czech Republic has handed over an Indian individual to the United States, suspected of being involved in an attempted plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist.

The Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek revealed on Monday that Nikhil Gupta was transferred to US authorities last week. Washington claims the suspect was part of a scheme orchestrated by the Indian government.

Gupta is charged by US federal prosecutors with conspiring with intelligence and security officers to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds both US and Canadian citizenship and promotes a separate Sikh nation in northern India.

Czech officials detained the 52-year-old Gupta after his arrival in Prague from India last June. Last month, a Czech court dismissed his request to avoid US extradition, enabling the Czech justice minister to approve his handover.

Blazek mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) that he authorized the extradition two weeks prior.

Na základě mého rozhodnutí z 3.6.2024 byl v pátek 14.6.2024 vydán k trestnímu stíhání do USA indický občan Nikhil Gupta, který je podezřelý ze spáchání trestného činu spiknutí za účelem spáchání nájemné vraždy s úmyslem způsobit smrt. Díky všem složkám, které se na realizaci…

— Pavel Blažek (@blazek_p) June 17, 2024

Translation: Based on my decision on [June 3], the Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, suspected of conspiracy to commit a murder-for-hire with intent to cause death, was extradited to the US on Friday for prosecution.

Gupta’s Czech lawyer, Petr Slepicka, previously told The Associated Press that he was planning to appeal to the nation's highest judicial body to prevent the extradition. He referred to it as a “political case.”

In November, US prosecutors announced they had foiled a plot to kill Pannun following a sting operation by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

Gupta was detained in Prague under an extradition agreement between the US and the Czech Republic. He denied any involvement in the conspiracy.

If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Unsteady diplomatic relations

New Delhi has consistently complained about Sikh separatist factions abroad, regarding them as national security threats. These factions support the Khalistan movement, which aims to establish an independent Sikh state within India.

However, the alleged plots against these groups have strained US and Canadian diplomatic relations with India, despite its strategic importance to the West as a counterbalance to China’s growing global influence.

Canada announced in September that its intelligence services were probing connections between India’s government and the murder of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in June 2023. India dismissed the claim as unreasonable.

India’s government has also denied any involvement in the plot against Pannun, stating such actions are contrary to its policies. It pledged to formally investigate the security issues raised by Washington.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom linked the alleged assassination attempt on Pannun to a broader trend of violence against religious minorities within India.

However, last month, Washington expressed satisfaction with India’s ongoing efforts to ensure accountability regarding the alleged plots, while emphasizing that more steps are necessary.