Indian authorities haven’t received any request for consular access from Nikhil Gupta, the Indian national extradited to the US from the Czech Republic following allegations of his involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Gupta, who was arrested in the Czech Republic in June last year, was extradited to the US on June 14.
“He was extradited to the US on June 14. We have so far not received any request for consular access from Gupta but his family has got in touch with us,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“We are in touch with the family members and are looking at the matter as to what can be done on their request,” he said during his weekly media briefing while replying to a question.
Gupta, 53, pleaded not guilty when he was produced in a federal court in New York on June 17.
While Gupta was in custody of Czech authorities, Indian officials were given consular access to him on a few occasions.
Last November, US federal prosecutors charged Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun in New York.
Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.
The issue of consular access to Gupta would be decided in line with provisions of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963, people familiar with the matter said.
Article 36 of the Convention states that a detained person will have to make a request for consular access to authorities of his or her country.
“Nevertheless, consular officers shall refrain from taking action on behalf of a national who is in prison, custody or detention if he expressly opposes such action,” the article states.
Following Gupta’s extradition, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said it “makes clear that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens.” “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.
In April, The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to assassinate Pannun.
Following the report, India said it made “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” imputations on a serious matter and that investigation into the case was underway.
India appointed a high-level inquiry committee to look into the inputs provided by the US on the alleged plot.
