NewsX‘s sister newspaper, The Sunday Guardian, has conducted a major agenda-setting interview, published as the lead story in today’s edition of The Sunday Guardian. The interview is with a man who has found himself at the center of a global attempt to defame India.
Nikhil Gupta has been accused of plotting to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a leader of the terrorist organization Sikhs for Justice. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Gupta in Prague last year, and since then, he has been held in a jail in the United States.
In his first interview with any media outlet, Nikhil Gupta responded to The Sunday Guardian’s questions through an intermediary from jail last week.
#NikhilGuptaOnTSG | In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Guardian, Nikhil Gupta, charged by U.S. prosecutors for plotting to assassinate Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, speaks out. He was arrested by the FBI in Prague in 2023 and he is currently in a U.S. jail. In… pic.twitter.com/tbaRuYEUki
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Jail Cum Slaughterhouse
When asked about the challenges of staying away from family for over a year now he said that the jail that he is kept in is a slaughterhouse, but not jail.
He said, “It’s very difficult. After coming to the US, it has become even harder. This is a slaughterhouse, not a jail. Everyone knows about the torture that happened with me in Prague. Here, it’s a complete slaughterhouse. The jail where I am held, MDC Brooklyn, is always in the news headlines for its poor safety conditions.
Just last week, someone was stabbed in the cell across the one from mine. In the last two months alone, there have been four murders and 25 stabbings here. It’s very hard to live here. I had requested the officials and judge to move me to a different place, but my request was not accepted. I was also assaulted some days ago. I have put forth multiple requests for the appointment of a public defender to represent me, since our savings have been spent on the legal fees that I had to incur in Czech and the US. I am still waiting for a response on that.
I only have the prayers of my fellow Indians; otherwise, I have no other support.”
Who Is Nikhil Gupta?
As it is obvious, that not much is known about him, apart from what the US indictment mentioned, So Who Is Nikhil Gupta?
He replied, saying, “I have always been a businessman. I have been involved in various small businesses. I have worked in mining, silica sand, non-ferrous metal import, brass handicrafts, and marble export. I have never been involved in any illegal or unlawful activities. My profile, income tax returns, and Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), which have been issued and verified by the Government of India, will attest to these facts.”
Wrong Man In Custody?
You have pleaded not guilty in this high-profile case. Are you arguing that they have the wrong man in custody?
He replied, saying, “I am not that person. There is no actual case against me. All of it is fabricated and politically motivated. It was only meant to affect the elections in India. The US has targeted a specific community, using a “divide and rule” strategy. They tried to exploit this situation in India and also capitalize on it in the USA because the Sikh community is quite large and influential here as well.”
He continued saying, “I am not the person that they are accusing me of. Initially, they said I was a drug trafficker and a firearms dealer. Then they shifted to brand me as a murder-for-hire. After that, they changed their story again and then they changed it a fourth time. This is all mischief and their allegations have no basis. They are playing dirty games, influencing everything, and buying people with money and power. Whether it’s through power or money, they want people to comply with their directions.”
Did He Meet Any Central Government Officials?
When asked if he met any Indian Central Government officials involved in security or intelligence as the FBI and Department of Justice (DoJ) has alleged, he replied that he did meet about 100 people on a daily basis for his business.
He said, “I used to meet around 100 people daily for my business. This is a part of my own trade; we go out and interact with many people. If someone among them is a person whose identity I do not know and later it turns out that he was an undercover agent or a government employee, how would I know? I have never knowingly met anyone like that. I do not know anyone who is referred to as CC-1 (meaning co-conspirator-1 in the indictment). Before this entire thing happened, I was discussing with some friends about forming a group and entering the real estate sector. Some friends introduced me to new people who were interested in investing or doing something similar. Thus, I met many new people in connection with my business.”
Was Nikhil Gupta Ever Charged In Criminal Cases?
Gupta replied that he was never add to any criminal records nor in India neither in any other country.
He said, “Not in any part of India nor in any other country—there hasn’t been any criminal or even civil case filed against me. I am just an honest tax-paying normal citizen like you and the readers of this interview.”
Jailed In Most Unsafe Prison
How have the officials treated you in the US?
He said, “The treatment from the officials is such that they expect me to agree with whatever they say. They have a hundred ways to make anyone comply through force, intimidation, and dirty tactics. That’s why I am being kept here. They want me to admit that there is some CC-1, they want me to accept the name that they are giving me and to make statements as they want me for their story. This is their dirty game. Since I don’t know anyone, how can I provide any information or accept what they are asking me to?”
Are Legal Remedies Provided?
Are you receiving the legal remedies that any accused person deserves?
Gupta denied receiving any legal support from anywhere, its just the prayers from his well wishers that has kept him alive. He said, “I haven’t received any legal support anywhere, not even moral support. The media reports that I get from India claim various things, but there is no support at all. Only the prayers of my fellow Indians have kept me alive in this condition, far away from my family and friends, and in an extremely hostile environment. I am hopeful that the Indian bureaucracy and the government will do something to help me.”
Is Nikhil Gupta Being Used For Goals Against India?
Many in India believe you are being used by vested interests outside of India for a larger global goal directed against India. Do you agree with this?
He said, “I completely agree. This is also my opinion. I had mentioned this in my submission to the Prague court. They told me that such political statements should not be made here. This is on record. You can check this by going through the case records related to the hearing that was done on 7 November 2023. I spoke in Hindi, and the judge responded in Czech. I am being used as a global tool for a larger agenda, which is to defame India. My family and I have become entangled in this big game. I am being used as a pawn.”
Message To The Government Of India
Nikhil Gupta stated that he is being treated like an animal in the prision. He states that he and his family expects assistance from the Government of India.
He said, “It has been over a year since I last met my family. During this time, even phone conversations that I have are disconnected abruptly. I have been kept in solitary confinement, treated like an animal. I am more concerned about my family than myself. I am worried about how they are managing over there. Our Hindi movies used to show that those closest to you are the first to abandon you in times of need and crisis. Now I have experienced this first-hand.
I and my family members have been left to face this all alone. Nobody has visited my family or responded to the multiple letters and emails that have been sent by my mother and children nor have I received any support. We are completely in the dark. This has become a political issue, I would not like to say more.
I and my family members are expecting assistance from the Government of India, because I am an innocent man who has been wrongly framed.”
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