New Delhi: “Never. I will never turn approver. All I need is a good lawyer to turn this around,” Indian national Nikhil Gupta, lodged in a US prison on charges of murder-for-hire in the alleged assassination plot of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, told ThePrint in an exclusive interview.
He said he was being “forced to turn approver” and “pressured to plead guilty,” adding that he struggles every day in prison. On one occasion, he was confined for more than 20 days in a ‘cage’ in the US prison.
ThePrint sent Gupta questions through an intermediary about his arrest, allegations against him, the involvement of former R&AW officer Vikash Yadav (a co-accused), and his time in prison, to which Gupta provided a written response.
He is currently awaiting trial and if convicted, could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each charge. Arrested on 30 June 2023 in the Czech Republic, Gupta was extradited to the US on 14 June last year.
In his response he said that American authorities do not have a case against him and that he had been framed. “Everything is a lie, completely fabricated. If I get a competent lawyer, I can prove that everything was created after my arrest. Their own case file—the discovery file—proves it,” he told ThePrint.
Adding, “No one has ever approached me regarding Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Why would anyone approach me? I’m just a small businessman.”
He went on to say that the case against him was made out with an intention to “defame India”. “I believe this was a political agenda aimed at interfering with Indian elections and defaming India.”
“This isn’t about me, Nikhil Gupta. It’s about India. And India will not bow down before them,” he added.
Gupta said the only way to fight this “unfair battle” was to get access to a good lawyer. “A good lawyer is the most important thing I need right now. Without a strong lawyer, I’m at a great disadvantage, but with the right support, I can fight back,” he said. Gupta added, “Now they say, ‘you can’t do anything… your country can’t do anything for you. You’ll rot here for life’. But I know one strong lawyer can turn this around,” he said.
“The prayers and support of my country and its people give me the strength to keep going. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to stand against them for even a day. I hope my message reaches everyone—that I will stand firm and never bow down to anyone. I know my mother and all mothers of India are praying for me and if god wills, I will soon get a good lawyer,” he said.
Also Read: What next for Vikash Yadav—patriot thrown under the bus or Hollywood-style spy gone rogue
‘Write letters I can’t even send’
Speaking about his time behind bars, Nikhil Gupta said he was “attacked” by another inmate in the US, “and despite being the victim, I was put in a box—more like a cage—for over 20 days”.
“No windows, no light. Life in prison is far from normal,” he added.
Gupta said he struggled to survive each day, even finding it difficult to manage without food he could eat as a vegetarian, but he was given vegetarian meals at his lawyer’s request.
During his time in a prison in the Czech Republic, his family had approached India’s Supreme Court in December 2023 through a habeas corpus filed by an anonymous relative, calling his arrest illegal and also saying that he, a Hindu vegetarian, was being forced to eat beef and pork in Czech custody.
Asked about his time in jail, Gupta said he spends most of his time meditating, reading and writing. “I’ve read some books in Czech prison and I often pen down my feelings, through letters to my wife, children, and mother—letters I can’t even send. What I miss the most is my family. I miss my life in India, I miss the home-cooked meals my wife lovingly prepared..I miss playing with my pets. My work and business are already ruined, but I’m holding on, staying strong—for my family,” he told ThePrint.
‘Don’t know any Vikash Yadav’
Talking about what took him to Prague, Gupta said it now appears to be a “political trap”. His family vacation, he said, turned into a nightmare.
“After my arrest outside the Prague airport, I was asked to sit in a vehicle. I was in complete shock and didn’t understand what was happening. There were US officers in the car who drove me around for some time before taking me to a police station in Prague. For over 20 days, I was denied any contact with my family, despite repeatedly requesting it.
“The entire experience felt like a nightmare, and my biggest concern was for my family’s well-being. In Prague I was visited by the consular after 21 days for the first time and I got consular access thrice over there.”
Gupta was granted consular access thrice in the Czech Republic but none in the United States. ThePrint had reported on how sources close to the family said they had written multiple emails to the Indian government since Gupta’s extradition to the US but were yet to receive a response.
Asked about allegations of him being in cahoots with former R&AW officer, Vikash Yadav, Gupta said, “I don’t know any such person. I am a simple business man who trades in multiple commodities including marbles, brass handicrafts”.
Two indictments have been filed and unsealed in the alleged Pannun plot case. One accuses Gupta of being involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking with a criminal record in Gujarat, which he denied. “I have never been to Gujarat in my entire life. I don’t know where this story is coming from,” he said.
Meanwhile, days before US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony due to take place on 20 January, a statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has said that the Indian government panel has recommended action against an “individual” with criminal links. The statement doesn’t name the “individual”. The committee was set up to look into allegations levelled by the US in the Pannun plot over the involvement of a former Indian official. Yadav already also faces extortion and kidnapping for ransom charges in India.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Now that Ministry of Homes Affairs confirms that the culprit is identified by the committee which recommended quick action against this individual who was a government employee, what is the point in publishing Nikhil’s version? There was an attempt from Indian soil and they were caught before the act. It is that simple and whether an individual actors knows all alleged against him or not is not something for us to debate.