A protester holds a photo of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun during a demonstration by a Hindu group in New Delhi last year over his claim that the Indian government was involved in the killing of his client, Hardip Singh Nijjar, in Canada. AFP
A protester holds a photo of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun during a demonstration by a Hindu group in New Delhi last year over his claim that the Indian government was involved in the killing of his client, Hardip Singh Nijjar, in Canada. AFP
A protester holds a photo of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun during a demonstration by a Hindu group in New Delhi last year over his claim that the Indian government was involved in the killing of his client, Hardip Singh Nijjar, in Canada. AFP
A protester holds a photo of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun during a demonstration by a Hindu group in New Delhi last year over his claim that the Indian government was involved in the killing of his client,

Indian man accused of plotting murder of Sikh leader Gurpatwant Pannun extradited to US


Taniya Dutta
  • English
  • Arabic

An Indian man accused of plotting to assassinate an American Sikh community leader has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic.

Nikhil Gupta was charged by the US government last year for allegedly plotting with Indian government officials to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen who advocates for a separate Sikh nation in the north Indian state of Punjab.

Mr Gupta is accused of trying to hire a hitman for the assassination. He paid $15,000 as an advance to an undercover federal agent posing as an assassin, according to the charges filed against him.

India has denied any involvement in the alleged plot.

Mr Gupta has been in the custody of Czech authorities since June last year after being arrested on arrival in Prague at Washington's request.

A Czech court rejected his petition to avoid extradition to the US last month.

Mr Gupta, 52, is being held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, according to the US Bureau of Prisons website.

He is expected to be produced in a federal court in New York on Monday, media reports said.

The charges against him carry up to 20 years in prison.

The US shared information on the case with India, which formed a committee to investigate the case.

India’s Supreme Court rejected a petition by Mr Gupta seeking its intervention to obtain his release and ensure a fair trial, saying the Indian government was supposed to take action in the matter.

News of his extradition emerged as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan arrived in the Indian capital on Monday and met External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Mr Pannun, who also holds Canadian citizenship, was a lawyer for Hardip Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist who was shot dead in his vehicle outside a temple in Surrey, in the Canadian province of British Columbia, in June last year.

Canada said an agent of the Indian government was involved in Mr Nijjar's murder, leading to a serious diplomatic row.

India has designated both Mr Pannun and Mr Nijjar as terrorists.

India has accused Sikh secessionist groups and leaders based overseas – especially in Canada, Australia and the UK – of funding and supporting a movement to create an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan.

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Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015

- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France

The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali

Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km

Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

SPECS
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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Updated: June 17, 2024, 11:29 AM