Pannun plot case | Czech court rules Nikhil Gupta can be extradited to U.S.

Czech appeals court rules that Prague can extradite Indian man accused of involvement in plot to kill Sikh separatist in the US.

A Czech appeals court has ruled that Prague can extradite to the United States an Indian man accused by the U.S. of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, the Justice Ministry said on Friday.

A final decision on the extradition of Nikhil Gupta, 52, will be in the hands of Justice Minister Pavel Blazek once the ruling is delivered to all parties in the case, a ministry spokesperson told Reuters.

Mr. Gupta has been accused by U.S. federal prosecutors of working with an Indian government official on the plot to kill a New York City resident who advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India.

Mr. Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in June last year when he travelled from India to Prague.

A Czech news website which first reported on the appeals decision, said Mr. Gupta had argued his identity was mistaken and that he was not the man the United States was looking for. He described the case was political, it said.

"The time frame for the minister's decision cannot be assumed at this point," the Justice Ministry spokesman said, adding that Mr. Gupta could be expected to take all steps possible to try to prevent extradition.

The minister has three months to turn to the Supreme Court in case he has doubts about the lower court' decisions, the spokesperson said.