Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national accused of being involved in a conspiracy to kill a Khalistani terrorist on US soil, on Monday pleaded not guilty in the case in a US federal court.

Gupta, 52, was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic on Friday.

Last year, he was arrested in the Czech Republic at the request of the US government for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to murder Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in New York. Pannu holds both American and Canadian citizenship.

Gupta was produced in a federal court in New York on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty, according to his lawyer, Jeffrey Chabroy.

The Czech Constitutional Court last month rejected Gupta’s petition against his extradition to the United States to face charges.

US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta was acting on instructions from an unnamed Indian government official.

However, India has denied its involvement in any such matter and has initiated a high-level investigation into the allegations.

“This is a complicated case for both our countries,” Gupta’s lawyer Chabroye told PTI ahead of his client’s arraignment in a federal court here.

“It is extremely important that we avoid jumping to conclusions too early in the process. The background and details will develop, which will cast the government’s allegations in a completely new light,” Chabroev said.

“We will vigorously pursue his defense and ensure he receives full due process despite external pressures,” he said.

Earlier, the Czech Republic’s Justice Minister had confirmed that Gupta had been extradited to the US.

“Based on my decision of (June 3), Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, suspected of conspiring to commit murder for hire with intent to kill, was extradited to the US on Friday (June 14) for criminal prosecution,” Czech Republic Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said in a post on XTV.

Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired an assassin to kill Pannun and paid him US$15,000 in advance.

Gupta has denied the allegations through his lawyer and said “unfair allegations” have been leveled against him.

In April 2024, The Washington Post reported that Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer Vikram Yadav was the Indian officer behind the plot. The paper also said that then-RAW chief Samant Goel had approved the operation.

However, India’s Foreign Ministry rejected the report and said it was an “unfair and baseless allegation” to claim that Indian agents were involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Pannu.

India has publicly stated that a high-level investigation is being conducted into the evidence shared by the US into the alleged plot to assassinate Pannu.