Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issue taken up during NSA’s visit to India: White House

New Delhi, June 18

The White House soft-pedalled the extradition of Indian Nikhil Gupta from the Czech Republic to a US prison, but acknowledged that the issue was discussed during meetings US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan held with top foreign policy and security officials here on Monday.

‘Gupta to now face justice in US court’

Washington: Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist in New York, will now face justice in an American courtroom, Attorney General Merrick Garland has said, asserting that the US will not tolerate attempts to “silence” or “harm” its citizens. PTI

“I don’t have more to add on the conversations that Jake’s having. He’s still over there having these conversations. But the main focus of his visit, as I said, was to look for ways to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship, particularly when it comes to emerging technology,” said White House spokesperson John Kirby in response to questions on Gupta, accused of involvement in a murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Though the White House appeared to play down the issue, the US authorities permitted the release of visuals from a high-security tarmac that showed a blurred image of Gupta being escorted to a waiting aircraft by New York Police Department personnel.

The visuals appeared a the day Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval met to focus on cooperation in critical technologies and a day before the Indian Government permitted a US Congressional delegation to meet the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.

Brought before a court in New York, Gupta has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His next court appearance will be on June 28.