Indian national accused of murder-for-hire plot arrives in New York

An Indian citizen accused of attempting to kill a Sikh separatist in New York has been extradited to the U.S. ahead of an expected federal court appearance, people with knowledge of the situation confirmed.

The defendant, Nikhil Gupta, has been charged with murder for hire linked to a foiled plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen who advocates for an independent Sikh state. Gupta, 52, is listed on the Board of Prisons inmate website as being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal administrative detention facility.

Gupta’s lawyers have said he is a law-abiding businessman unjustly caught up in the escalating geopolitical “crossfire” between the United States and the Indian government.

Read more: Washington Post