| Gupta Detained in SDNY in
Indian Murder for Hire Plot as
Lawyer Cites Vegetarianism
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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