by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 17 – Back in late 2023 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, a superseding indictment was unsealed alleging murder-for-hire charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta, aka Nick, 52, in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City - reportedly Sikh Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta in Prague’s Pankrac prison.
On June 17, 2024, Gupta was presented in the SDNY Magistrates Court. While Inner City Press is often the only media there - for only one example, in a gun case on June 14, continued into June 17 - this time the gallery was full, including with Indian journalists. With some new and we hope temporary restrictions, Inner City Press thread:
AUSA: Mr Gupta was extradited in. We will make voluntary consular notification.
Judge: You are charged with murder for hire. Retained defense counsel: He pleads not guilty.
AUSA: We seek detention. Defense: We consent; we'll confer before Judge Marrero next week. My client is a vegetarian.
Magistrate Judge James L. Cott: There are others in the MDC [Metropolitan Detention Center] who are vegetarians, it shouldn't be a problem.
[Note: Sam Bankman-Fried complained about the vegetarian fare - a/k/a peanut butter gate]
Defense counsel: I also ask that my client be allowed to pray.
Judge: All are.
Defense: Maybe because he arrived at the weekend.
Judge: We're adjourned.
The case is US v. Gupta, 23-cr-289 (Marrero)
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