New Delhi/New York: Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national accused of involvement in a plot to murder Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has pleaded not guilty to the charges in a federal court in New York.
Gupta, 52, was extradited from the Czech Republic to the US two days ago.
He was presented before Magistrate Judge James Cott on Monday where he pleaded not guilty.
His attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe entered the “not guilty” plea on his behalf.
He is being held in a Brooklyn detention facility.
Gupta is accused by the US authorities of a plot to kill Pannun, an American citizen, on US soil.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each charge.
The next court hearing in the case is on June 28.
Gupta’s lawyer also told the judge that his client is a vegetarian and had not been provided a vegetarian meal in the detention facility.
On Monday, Czech Republic Police shared visuals of Gupta’s extradition to the US on X. They stated, “The suspect in an assassination plot is now in US custody,” and confirmed Gupta was safely extradited from Prague, showing a blurred video of him boarding a plane
US Attorney General Merrick Garland asserted that the US will not tolerate attempts to harm its citizens. He stated that Gupta “will now face justice in an American courtroom” for his alleged role in the plot.
