The Czech constitutional court has approved the extradition of an Indian citizen suspected of involvement in an alleged plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States. The US Justice Department charged Nikhil Gupta with plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on US soil and alleged the involvement of an Indian government official in planning the plot to kill a US citizen of Indian origin.
The Czech top court rejected Gupta's appeal against verdicts passed by lower-instance courts approving his extradition. The extradition still requires approval by the Czech justice minister. Gupta was detained at Prague airport on June 30, 2023, under extradition orders issued by the US Justice Department.
The man allegedly targeted in the killing is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a US-based organization advocating for the secession of Punjab, a northern Indian state with a large Sikh population. India's foreign ministry has announced the establishment of a high-level inquiry committee to look into the case.
