Man Accused in Plot to Assassinate Sikh Separatist Pleads Not Guilty

An Indian man pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of orchestrating a failed assassination plot against a Sikh separatist in New York, a plan that prosecutors say he devised on behalf of an unnamed official in India’s government.

The defendant, Nikhil Gupta, was arrested in the Czech Republic a year ago, and was extradited last week to make his first appearance in Manhattan federal court. He is accused of trying to arrange the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen and lawyer for a New York-based Sikh secessionist group.

The murder attempt, which played out against a backdrop of doubt about India’s commitment to democracy, spanned several countries and mirrored the successful killing of another separatist in Canada, prosecutors say.

On Monday morning, Mr. Gupta entered the Lower Manhattan courtroom in a blue cardigan and yellow patterned shirt and appeared relaxed as he spoke to his lawyer, Jeffrey Chabrowe, at the defense table. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since landing in the United States on Friday afternoon.

In a statement to reporters after the arraignment, Mr. Chabrowe called the case a “complex matter” for India and the United States. “Background and details will develop that may cast government allegations into an entirely new light,” he said.

Mr. Gupta is charged with murder for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire. If convicted, he would face a maximum of 10 years in prison for each charge. He was sent back to the detention center after Monday’s arraignment and is set to appear in court again on June 28.