PRAGUE: A Czech Republic court has ruled that an Indian citizen accused by the U.S. of involvement in a failed plot to kill a Sikh activist on American soil can be extradite to the United States.
A Justice Ministry spokesperson told western media on Friday that a final decision regarding extradition of Nikhil Gupta, 52, will be made by Justice Minister Pavel Blazek once the ruling is delivered to all parties in the case.
The U.S. federal prosecutors accused Gupta of working with an Indian government official on the plot to kill a New York City resident who backed a sovereign Sikh state in India.
Czech authorities arrested Gupta in June last year when he travelled from India to Prague.
Gupta had argued that he was not the man the United States was looking for, terming the case as political.
The Justice Ministry spokesman said the time frame for the minister’s decision cannot be given at this point saying that Gupta could take all steps to prevent possible extradition.
He said the minister can move the Supreme Court within three months if he has doubts about the lower court’ decisions.
The Prague High Court dismissed Gupta’s appeal against a decision by a lower court in December that ruled that extradition is allowed.
The Czech Republic in the past has agreed to U.S. extradition requests.
