Indian accused of plotting US Sikh murder pleads not guilty
An Indian man accused of plotting to kill a Sikh separatist in New York City has pleaded not guilty in federal court.
Nikhil Gupta made his first court appearance on Monday afternoon after being extradited from the Czech Republic and arriving in the US on Friday.
US authorities have charged him with attempting to hire a hitman to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen.
According to US prosecutors, Mr. Gupta was directed by an unnamed Indian government official. India denies any involvement in the alleged plot.
Mr. Gupta, 52, entered the Manhattan federal courtroom shortly after 12:30 EDT (17:30 BST) on Monday, wearing a blue sweater and black Nike sweatpants, with his hands behind his back.
After waiving the reading of his indictment, Mr. Gupta’s lawyer, Jeff Chabrowe, entered a plea of “not guilty” on his behalf when asked by Judge James Cott.
Prosecutors requested that Mr. Gupta be detained until his trial.
Mr. Gupta’s lawyer stated they would file a bail application at a later date, meaning Mr. Gupta will remain in detention for now.
During the 20-minute arraignment, his lawyer also raised concerns about the conditions of Mr. Gupta’s detention, noting that he had not been provided with a vegetarian meal since arriving at a Brooklyn detention facility on Friday.
“Essentially, my client has not been able to eat,” he said.
Mr. Chabrowe also mentioned that Mr. Gupta would need to be allowed to pray.
Judge Cott advised Mr. Chabrowe to contact him again on Tuesday if those issues were not resolved.
Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Mr Chabrowe called the case “a complex matter for both India and the US”.
He said people should refrain from “jumping to conclusions” about the allegations against Mr Gupta.
“We will pursue his defense rigorously,” he said.
Mr Gupta’s hearing was also attended by several Khalistan activists, including one who held the movement’s flag outside the courthouse.
Mr Gupta is scheduled to appear in court again on 28 June.
In November, US prosecutors charged Mr Gupta with a plot to kill at least four Sikh separatists in North America, including Mr Pannun. The charges against him carry up to 20 years in prison.
Mr Gupta paid $100,000 (£79,000) in cash to a hitman to assassinate Mr Pannun, prosecutors said. The hitman, they added, was an undercover federal agent.
Mr Pannun is a dual US-Canadian citizen living in New York.
He is the general counsel for Sikhs for Justice, an organisation based in the US that supports the broader Khalistan movement, which calls for an independent homeland for Sikhs, who make up about 2% of India’s population.
Mr Pannun was designated a terrorist by the Indian government in 2020, an allegation he denies.
He was also an associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader who was shot dead in Canada in his car last year.
The murder led to a deterioration in India-Canada ties after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged there were “credible allegations” that Delhi had been involved. India denied the accusations.
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Let us stop discrimination, for it will tear the world apart.