India SC rejects plea from US murder plot accused

NEW DELHI, Jan 04 (BBC): India's Supreme Court (SC) has said that it will not intervene in the case of an Indian man accused of conspiring to kill a Sikh separatist on US soil. US prosecutors have charged Nikhil Gupta with trying to hire a hitman to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

Mr Gupta is in jail in Prague, and his lawyer has said that the process to extradite him to the US has started. "It is for the [Indian] government to take action," the Supreme Court said, rejecting the plea.

The petition, filed by an anonymous relative of Mr Gupta, had asked the Indian Supreme Court to aid his release and help him get a fair trial. His lawyer had also alleged that Mr Gupta was detained illegally.