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The US government has objected to providing defence material to Nikhil Gupta’s lawyers in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun case, stating that it will furnish the information only upon his appearance in a New York court.

“The government respectfully submits this letter in opposition to defendant Nikhil Gupta’s motion to compel discovery during the pendency of his extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic,” PTI reported, quoting federal prosecutors.

A US court had earlier asked the federal government to respond to a motion filed by lawyers of Gupta, charged in Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s murder plot.

Gupta’s lawyer had filed a ‘Motion to Compel Production of Discovery’ on January 4 in the US District Court, Southern District of New York requesting the Court to direct federal prosecutors to provide “the defence materials relevant to its ability to defend the instant charges.”

US District Judge Victor Marrero had on January 8 given the government three days’ time to respond to the motion filed by Gupta’s attorney.

Gupta, 52, was charged by federal prosecutors in an indictment unsealed in November of last year, with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil.

Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic, on June 30, 2023, and is currently being held there. The US government is seeking his extradition to America.

(With PTI inputs)