New Delhi:

The ban on pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), founded by US-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been extended by the Centre for five years for its relentless anti-India activities.
In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Union Home Ministry said SFJ was declared a banned organisation five years ago under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for its anti-national activities.

The notification said the Central government is of the opinion that SFJ continues to indulge in activities which are prejudicial to the integrity and security of the country and is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in Punjab and elsewhere, intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

It said SFJ is in close touch with militant outfits and activists, and is supporting a violent form of extremism and militancy in Punjab and elsewhere to carve out a sovereign Khalistan out of territory of India.

The pro-Khalistan separatist group is encouraging and aiding the activities for the secession of a part of the Indian territory and supporting separatist groups fighting for this purpose in India and elsewhere by indulging in activities and articulations intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

The Home Ministry said the government feels that if the unlawful activities of SFJ are not curbed and controlled immediately, it is likely to escalate its subversive activities including attempts to carve out a Khalistan nation out of the territory of India by destabilising the government established by law.

The SFJ continues to advocate the secession of Punjab from India and the formation of Khalistan, it continues to propagate anti-national and separatist sentiments prejudicial to the territorial integrity and security of the country and escalates secessionist movements, and support militancy and incite violence in the country, the notification said.

“Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (3) of section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967), the central government hereby extends the declaration of the Sikhs For Justice as an unlawful association and directs that this notification shall, subject to any order that may be made under section 4 of the said Act, have effect for a further period of five years from 10th day of July, 2024,” it said.

SFJ was founded by US-based Pannun, who was also declared as a terrorist by the government. It had also carried out a campaign for a referendum for a separate Khalistan about three years ago.

Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada, is wanted in India on terror charges.

Last month, an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was extradited to the US for his alleged involvement in the plot to kill Pannun on American soil.

The group’s primary objective is to establish an “independent and sovereign country” in Punjab. It openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, an official said.

SFJ was first declared a banned organisation under the UAPA in 2019. 

New Delhi:

The government today said it has not received any consular access request from Nikhil Gupta, an Indian accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Khalistani terrorist on American soil. “We are in touch with his family,” it added.

The 53-year-old was arrested and detained in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, at the request of the US government on charges of plotting with an Indian official to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. He was extradited to the US on June 14.

Mr Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty, according to his lawyer Jeffrey Chabrowe.

India has designated Pannun a terrorist but dissociated itself from the plot. The government said late last year it was a “matter of concern” that an Indian government official was linked to the plot and that it would formally investigate concerns raised by the United States.

“This is a complex matter for both our countries,” Mr Gupta’s lawyer told PTI ahead of his client’s arraignment.

“It is extremely important that we refrain from rushing to conclusions so early in the process. Background and details will develop that may cast government allegations into an entirely new light,” he said.

“We will pursue his defence vigorously and ensure he receives full due process, regardless of outside pressures,” he added.

The murder-for-hire case carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York said in a press release.

Washington:

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, 53, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Khalistani terrorist on American soil, will now face justice in a US courtroom, Attorney General Merrick Garland has said, asserting that the country will not tolerate attempts to harm its citizens.

Gupta, 53, also known as Nick, was arrested and detained in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. He was extradited to the US on June 14.

Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney, Jeffrey Chabrowe.

“This extradition makes clear that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens,” Garland said on Monday.

“Nikhil Gupta will now face justice in an American courtroom for his involvement in an alleged plot, directed by an employee of the Indian government, to target and assassinate a US citizen for his support of the Sikh separatist movement in India,” he said.

Gupta is charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each charge.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said this murder-for-hire plot, allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government employee to kill a US citizen in New York City, was a brazen attempt to silence a political activist for exercising a quintessential American right — his freedom of speech.

“The extradition of the defendant is a vital step towards justice,” she said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency will not tolerate attempts by foreign nationals or anyone else to repress constitutionally-protected freedoms in the United States.

“We will continue to work with our partners at home and abroad to protect our citizens and these sacred rights,” he said.

According to court documents, last year, an Indian government employee (CC-1) allegedly worked together with Gupta and others in India and elsewhere to direct an assassination plot against an attorney and political activist, who is a US citizen of Indian origin, on US soil.

Gupta is an Indian national who resides in India, is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others, a media release said.

CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in “security management” and “intelligence” and has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer training” in “battle craft” and “weapons”. CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India, it added.

Federal prosecutors alleged that CC-1 recruited Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the assassination in the US.

Pannun is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a US-based organisation that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India, the federal prosecutors said.

They alleged that on CC-1’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom he believed to be a criminal associate but he was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA (the CS) for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the victim in New York City.

“The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the UC). CC-1 subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by Gupta, to pay the UC USD 1,00,000 to murder the victim. On or about June 9, 2023, CC-1 and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver USD 15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1’s associate then delivered the USD 15,000 to the UC in Manhattan,” they said.

In June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address, phone numbers associated with the victim and details about the victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed on to the UC, they added.

CC-1 directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by allegedly forwarding to CC-1, among other things, surveillance photographs of the victim.

“Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements scheduled to occur in the ensuing weeks between high-level US and Indian government officials,” the prosecutors said.

According to the prosecutors, after Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada on June 18, 2023, Gupta allegedly told the UC that he “was also the target” and “we have so many targets”.

Around June 20, 2023, CC-1 sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged him “(i)t’s (a) priority now”, the prosecutors alleged.

India has publicly said a high-level inquiry is looking into the evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun. 

Washington:

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who is accused of being involved in murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh separatist, has been extradited from Czech Republic, media reports said Sunday.

Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday.

Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is listed as an inmate. The Washington Post was the first news outlet to report his extradition.

“Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country,” the daily said.

Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid USD 15,000 in advance. They allege that an unnamed Indian government official was involved in it.

Gupta’s extradition comes ahead of the New Delhi visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for the annual ICET dialogue. The issue is expected to be raised by Sullivan before his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

India has denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted an investigation into the allegations.

Gupta through his attorney has denied the charges and has said that he has been “unfairly charged”.

“Gupta’s attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is “nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim,” The Washington Post said.

“Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney “under the undue influence of … U.S. Agencies” during the initial phase of his detention. She said India and the United States were “going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy,” the daily reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who is accused of being involved in murder-for-hire plot against a Khalistan terrorist, has been extradited from Czech Republic, media reports said Sunday.

Gupta, 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He is expected to be produced before a federal court in New York on Monday.

Gupta is currently lodged at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, where he is listed as an inmate. The Washington Post was the first news outlet to report his extradition.

“Gupta, who had been detained in the Czech Republic, arrived in New York over the weekend, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive legal proceedings. Typically, extradited defendants must appear in court within a day of their arrival in the country,” the daily said.

Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid $15,000 in advance. They allege that an unnamed Indian government official was involved in it.

Gupta’s extradition comes ahead of the New Delhi visit of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan for the annual ICET dialogue. The issue is expected to be raised by Sullivan before his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval.

India has denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted an investigation into the allegations.

Gupta through his attorney has denied the charges and has said that he has been “unfairly charged”.

“Gupta’s attorney, Rohini Musa, wrote in a petition to the Indian Supreme Court that her client is being unfairly prosecuted, saying there is “nothing on record to link the Petitioner to the massive alleged plot to assassinate the alleged victim,” The Washington Post said.

“Musa complained that Gupta received adverse legal advice from a Czech government-appointed attorney “under the undue influence of … U.S. Agencies” during the initial phase of his detention. She said India and the United States were “going back and forth to blame each other for their foreign policy,” the daily reported.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
| Photo Credit: AP

The Czech Constitutional Court has rejected a petition by Indian national Nikhil Gupta, detained in a prison in Prague, against his extradition to the U.S. to face murder-for-hire charges in an alleged assassination attempt on a Khalistani extremist on American soil.

Gupta, 52, was charged by U.S. federal prosecutors in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual American and Canadian citizenships, in the U.S.

Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and is being held there currently. The U.S. government is seeking his extradition to America.

Also read: Will R&AW’s overseas operations affect ties? | Explained

The Czech Constitutional Court heard a petition by Gupta against the extradition.

“The Constitutional Court did not find any circumstance for which declaring extradition admissible would lead to a violation of any of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights and freedoms,” the court said in a statement on Wednesday.

The court said it ruled that lower courts had given due consideration to aspects that may prevent extradition. It also rejected arguments that the case was political.

“For the complainant, this brings the proceedings before the Czech courts to an end.”

The Constitutional Court said it has now confirmed the decision of the general courts on the admissibility of extradition, upholding the Municipal Court and The High Court’s order.

The court also upheld the local court’s decision to reject Gupta’s request for release from pre-trial detention and did not accept compensation for detention in the form of a monetary guarantee, or in the form of a ban on travel abroad.

Before the Constitutional Court, the applicant said courts did not examine all the essential circumstances that could become an obstacle to extradition, according to the statement.

A Czech high court in January ruled Gupta can be extradited to the U.S.

A final decision on whether to extradite Gupta will be made by Justice Minister Pavel Blazek.

The Washington Post, in April 2024, reported that Vikram Yadav, a Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer, was the Indian official behind the plot. The paper also said the then R&AW chief Samant Goel sanctioned the operation.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, however, dismissed the report, saying it makes “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations” to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun.

India has publicly said a high-level inquiry is looking into the evidence shared by the U.S. in the alleged plot to kill Pannun.

File picture of Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who accused the White House of complicating the 2024 Lok Sabha polls
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The U.S. has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the murder plot of a Khalistani terrorist in that country, Russia has said, as it accused Washington of meddling in India’s domestic affairs and the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

In November last year, U.S. federal prosecutors charged an Indian national with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Mr. Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the U.S. and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, when asked to respond to a report by the Washington Post claiming that India is trying to adopt the policies as Russia and Saudi Arabia, said: “According to the information we have, Washington has not yet provided any reliable evidence of the involvement of Indian citizens in the preparation of the murder of a certain G.S. Pannun. Speculation on this topic in the absence of evidence is unacceptable.”

Washington lacks understanding of India’s national mentality and history and continues to make “unfounded accusations” about religious freedoms in India, she said.

“Regular unfounded accusations by the United States against New Delhi… we see that they groundlessly accuse not only India but also many other states… of violating religious freedoms are a reflection of the United States’ misunderstanding of the national mentality, the historical context of the development of the Indian state and disrespect for India as a state,” she said.

Describing the interference as a “colonial period mentality,” the Russian spokesperson accused the White House of complicating the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“The reason is that they try to unbalance the internal political situation in India in order to complicate the general parliamentary elections. That is part of meddling into India’s internal affairs,” RT news quoted her as saying.

“The Washington Post, it seems to me, should use the term “repressive regime” and everything you quoted in relation to Washington. It is difficult to imagine a more repressive regime than Washington, both in domestic and international affairs,” she said.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Mr. Pannun on American soil last year.

India has strongly rejected the claims, saying that the report made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway.

“The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi.

Mr. Jaiswal said a high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi to look into inputs provided by the U.S. on the alleged plot was still probing the case.

“There is an ongoing investigation of the high-level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others,” he said.

“Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful,” Mr. Jaiswal added.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. File.
| Photo Credit: AP

The United States is waiting to see the results of the Indian investigations on allegations related to a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the U.S., a State Department official has said.

“They [Indian government] opened a committee of inquiry to look into the matter, and that work is ongoing; we’ll wait to see the results. But we made it very clear that it’s something that we are taking seriously and we think they, too, should take this seriously,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday.

Also read: Will R&AW’s overseas operations affect ties? | Explained

Mr. Miller was responding to a question on the allegations that Indian government officials were involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, a U.S. citizen and a separatist Sikh leader.

“I would refer you to the Canadian authorities to speak to the details of the investigation there. With respect to the indictment that was returned in the United States, I will let the Department of Justice speak on behalf of that in detail,” he told reporters.

“And then the only thing further I would say: when it comes to the State Department, we had made it clear right when these allegations were first made public that it’s something we think India should take very seriously and investigate,” Mr. Miller added.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, recently named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.

Slamming the report by the U.S. daily, India has strongly rejected the claims, saying that the report made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway.

“The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi last Tuesday.

Mr. Jaiswal said a high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi to look into inputs provided by the US on the alleged plot was still probing the case.

Washington:

 The United States is waiting to see the results of the Indian investigations on allegations related to a plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US, a State Department official has said.

“They (Indian government) opened a committee of inquiry to look into the matter, and that work is ongoing; we’ll wait to see the results. But we made it very clear that it’s something that we are taking seriously and we think they, too, should take this seriously,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

Miller was responding to a question on the allegations that Indian government officials were involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, a US citizen and a separatist Sikh leader.

“I would refer you to the Canadian authorities to speak to the details of the investigation there. With respect to the indictment that was returned in the United States, I will let the Department of Justice speak on behalf of that in detail,” he told reporters.

“And then the only thing further I would say: when it comes to the State Department, we had made it clear right when these allegations were first made public that it’s something we think India should take very seriously and investigate,” Miller added.

The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, recently named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.

Slamming the report by the US daily, India has strongly rejected the claims, saying that the report made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway.

“The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi last Tuesday.

Mr Jaiswal said a high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi to look into inputs provided by the US on the alleged plot was still probing the case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In an explosive turn of events Monday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has called for an anti-terror probe into allegations Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal received political funding from the banned Sikhs For Justice group founded by wanted terrorist Gurpatwant Pannun.

Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party hit back swiftly via senior leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, who dismissed the call for a probe by the National Investigation Agency as a “conspiracy” against the party and its leader. “LG sir is an agent of the BJP… This is another big conspiracy against Chief Minister Kejriwal at the behest of the BJP,” he said in a brief statement.

The allegations – the latest in a long-running and fierce war between the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party in power at the centre – come less than three weeks before the national capital votes in the general election. In 2019 the BJP won all Delhi’s seven seats.

In a detailed letter to the Union Home Secretary, Mr Saxena referred to a video (which he said was enclosed with the missive) in which Pannun declares Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party “received a staggering amount of $16 million in funding from Khalistani groups…” 

“… Kejriwal purportedly promised to facilitate release of Devender Pal Bhullar, in return for substantial financial backing from Khalistani factions to Aam Aadmi Party…” the LG’s letter said, citing a complaint from a Hindu religious body and tweets by a former AAP worker.

The AAP boss also reportedly received money to “espouse pro-Khalistani sentiments”.

Bhullar, a former professor, was convicted in the 1993 Delhi bomb blasts case. In 2001 he was given the death sentence but that was later commuted to life imprisonment.

Arvind Kejriwal is already in jail over corruption charges linked to the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam that is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation. Mr Kejriwal and the AAP have denied all charges, labelling them acts of “political vendetta” by the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

Mr Kejriwal has challenged his arrest – he was arrested March 21 – in the Supreme Court. He was the third top AAP leader to be arrested in this case, after ex-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. Mr Singh is out on bail.

Arvind Kejriwal has argued that his arrest was illegal since there is no evidence linking him to the alleged crime. The top court, which is still hearing the case, has said it will consider bail for Mr Kejriwal so he can campaign for his party for the forthcoming Delhi election.