The US government has raised objections to furnishing defense materials to Nikhil Gupta's lawyers in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun case, asserting that it will disclose the information only when Gupta appears in a New York court. Federal prosecutors, quoted by PTI, stated in a letter that opposed Gupta's motion to compel discovery during the ongoing extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic.
This development follows a US court's directive to the federal government to address the motion filed by Gupta's lawyers. He stands accused in the murder plot involving Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Gupta's attorney submitted a 'Motion to Compel Production of Discovery' on January 4 in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, urging the court to instruct federal prosecutors to provide defense materials relevant to addressing the charges. Responding to this, US District Judge Victor Marrero granted the government a three-day window to reply to Gupta's attorney's motion.
Gupta, aged 52, faced federal charges in an indictment unveiled in November of the previous year. The charges allege his collaboration with an Indian government employee in a thwarted scheme to assassinate Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, on American soil. Gupta's arrest took place in Prague, Czech Republic, on June 30, 2023, and he remains in custody there. The US government is actively pursuing his extradition to the United States.
