Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, entered a not guilty plea in a federal court in the US on Monday. He is accused of taking part in a murder-for-hire scheme to kill a Khalistani terrorist on US soil.
On Friday, Gupta, 52, was extradited from the Czech Republic to the United States.
At the US government's request, he was detained in the Czech Republic last year on suspicion of taking part in a scheme to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Pannun is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
On Monday, Gupta appeared in federal court in New York and entered a not guilty plea, as per the statement of his legal representative, Jeffrey Chabrowe.
Gupta filed a plea last month seeking to have his extradition to the US to face the accusations denied by the Czech Constitutional Court.
Federal prosecutors in the US claim that Gupta was carrying out his duties at the behest of an unidentified Indian government official.
However, India has launched a thorough probe into the claims and denied any participation in the matter.
Prior to his client's appearance in a federal court here, Gupta's lawyer Chabrowe told PTI, "This is a complex matter for both our countries."
"It is crucial that we avoid drawing conclusions too quickly at this stage of the process. There will be background information and data that might completely refute official accusations, according to Chabrowe.
Gupta's extradition to the US was already announced by the Czech Minister of Justice.
"On the basis of my decision on (June 3), Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, who is suspected of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire with intent to cause death, was extradited to the US on Friday (June 14) for criminal prosecution," Pavel Blazek, the Czech minister of justice, wrote dated X.
According to US authorities, Gupta paid USD 15,000 in advance to a hitman he hired to assassinate Pannun.
Gupta has refuted the allegations and claimed he has been "unfairly charged" through the representation of his lawyer.
According to a Washington Post article from April 2024, the Indian official masterminding the scheme was Vikram Yadav, an officer in the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
The report was rejected by India's Ministry of External Affairs, which claimed that the allegations of Indian agents' involvement in the attempt to kill Pannun were "unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations."
India has made it known that a high-level investigation is examining the information provided by the US regarding the purported plot to assassinate Pannun.
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