New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by the family of Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, who is under detention in Prague for his alleged involvement in the purported conspiracy to assassinate US-based Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta observed that Gupta was entitled to consular access under the Vienna Convention, which he has already got.
Gupta has been charged by the US government with trying to hire a hitman to assassinate Pannun, an attempt the US said it had foiled. A Sikh separatist, Pannun has been declared a designated terrorist by India and is a leader of the organisation Sikhs For Justice.
Also read: Canadian police to arrest Nijjar shooters ‘in a matter of weeks’, says newspaper report
Gupta is currently in Pankrác prison in Prague, and is facing extradition to the United States, as a Prague lower court has given a green signal for it.
The petition by his family said Gupta wanted to file an appeal against this order, but was unable to do so in the absence of the order copy.
The petition also claimed that Gupta had not received any assistance or involvement from the Indian Embassy in Prague, despite representations, emails, letters and phone calls to it, and also to the Ministry of External Affairs.
The Supreme Court, however, emphasised the respect for the jurisdiction of a foreign court, and observed, “Considering the public international law and comity of courts, we can’t intervene.”
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: US condemns vandalism of Hindu Temple in California