The Prague High Court has authorized the extradition of Nikhil Gupta, a 52-year-old Indian man, to the United States, where he is accused of participating in an unsuccessful conspiracy to assassinate a Sikh separatist residing in New York.
The decision was announced by the Czech Justice Ministry on Friday, with the final say resting in the hands of Justice Minister Pavel Blazek once the ruling is officially communicated to all involved parties.
Gupta, who was apprehended by Czech authorities in June the previous year during a trip from India to Prague, faces allegations from US federal prosecutors of collaborating with an Indian government official in the plot to kill the Sikh advocate for a sovereign state in northern India. The defendant, however, claims mistaken identity and contends that he is not the individual sought by the United States, framing the case as politically motivated, according to Czech news website www.seznamzpravy.cz.
The Justice Ministry spokesperson informed Reuters that the timeline for the minister’s decision is currently uncertain, and Gupta is expected to exhaust all available avenues to oppose extradition. If the minister harbors doubts about the lower court’s decision, there is a three-month window to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The Prague High Court dismissed Gupta’s appeal against a lower court’s December ruling permitting extradition. While the court’s spokesperson refrained from immediate comment, it is noted that the Czech Republic has historically acceded to US extradition requests. Gupta’s legal representative did not respond promptly to requests for comment, but the attorney reportedly stated plans to appeal to the minister to block extradition and to escalate the case to the Constitutional Court.
