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FBI political game: “I am a chess piece”

NewsXSister newspaper of The Sunday Guardianhas conducted an important, groundbreaking interview, which is featured as the lead story in today’s edition of The Sunday GuardianThe interview is with a man who was at the centre of a global attempt to defame India.

Nikhil Gupta is accused of planning an assassination attempt on 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 he has been in a prison in the United States since then.

In his first interview with a media outlet, Nikhil Gupta responded to The Sunday Guardian Questions last week through a prison intermediary.

Prison, sperm, slaughterhouse

When asked how difficult it was for him to be separated from his family for over a year now, he said that the prison where he was being held was a slaughterhouse, but not a prison.

He said: “It is very difficult. Since I came to the United States, it has become even more difficult. This is a slaughterhouse, not a prison. Everyone knows about the torture I suffered in Prague. Here it is a slaughterhouse. The prison where I am being held, MDC Brooklyn, is constantly making headlines for its poor security conditions.

Just last week, someone was stabbed to death in the cell opposite me. In the last two months alone, there have been four murders and 25 stabbings here. It is very difficult to live here. I asked the officials and the judge to move me to another location, but my request was rejected. A few days ago, I was also attacked. I have requested several times to appoint a public defender to represent me, as our savings were used up on the legal fees I had to pay in the Czech Republic and the USA. I am still waiting for a response to that.

All I have left are the prayers of my fellow Indians, otherwise I have no other support.”

Who is Nikhil Gupta?

Since not much is obviously known about him other than what is stated in the US indictment, the question arises: “So who is Nikhil Gupta?”

He replied, “I have always been a businessman. I have been involved in various small businesses. I have worked in mining, silica sand, import of non-ferrous metals, brass craft and marble export. I have never been involved in any illegal or unlawful activities. My profile, income tax returns and police clearance certificate (PCC) issued and verified by the Government of India confirm these facts.”

Wrong man in custody?

You have pleaded not guilty in this high-profile case. Are you arguing that the wrong man is in custody?

He replied, “I am not that person. There is no actual case against me. Everything is fabricated and politically motivated. It was only meant to influence the elections in India. The US has targeted a particular community and has followed a divide and rule strategy. They have tried to exploit this situation in India and capitalise on it in the US as well because the Sikh community is quite large and influential here too.”

He continued: “I am not the person they accuse me of. At first they said I was a drug dealer and arms dealer. Then they changed their story and branded me a contract killer. After that they changed their story again and then a fourth time. This is all nonsense and their accusations have no basis. They play dirty games, influence everything and buy people with money and power. Whether through power or money, they want people to follow their orders.”

Did he meet any central government officials?

When asked whether he had met with officials of the Indian central government who were involved in Security or intelligence work, as the FBI and the Department of Justice (DoJ) claimed, he replied that he meets with about 100 people every day as part of his business.

He said: “I used to meet about 100 People daily for my business. This is part of my own profession; we go out and interact with a lot of people. If there is someone among them whose identity I don't know and it later turns out that he was an undercover agent or a government employee, how would I know? I have never knowingly met anyone like him. I don't know anyone who is referred to as CC-1 (which means Co-Conspirator-1 in the indictment). Before this all happened, I was discussing with some friends about forming a group and getting into real estate. Some friends introduced me to new people who were interested in investing or doing something similar. That's how I met a lot of new people in connection with my business.”

Has Nikhil Gupta ever been charged in a criminal case?

Gupta replied that he had no criminal record in India or any other country.

He said, “No criminal or civil proceedings have been initiated against me in India or any other country. I am an honest, tax-paying ordinary citizen like you and the readers of this interview.”

Locked up in an extremely unsafe prison

How were you treated by the authorities in the USA?

He said: “The way the officers treat me is that they expect me to agree with everything they say. They have a hundred ways to force anyone to obey through violence, intimidation and dirty tactics. That's why I'm being held here. They want me to admit that CC-1 exists, they want me to accept the name they give me and to make the statements they want from 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 want from me?”

Are there legal remedies?

Are you receiving the legal remedies to which every defendant is entitled?

Gupta denied receiving any legal support from anywhere, saying that only the prayers of his well-wishers kept him alive. He said, “I have not received any legal support from anywhere, not even moral support. The media reports I receive from India claim all sorts of 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 hope that the Indian bureaucracy and government will do something to help me.”

Will Nikhil Gupta be used to score goals against India?

Many in India believe that you are being used by vested interests outside India for a larger global agenda that is against India. Do you agree with this?

He said, “I completely agree. That is my opinion too. I mentioned this in my statement before the Prague court. They told me that such political statements should not be made here. This is on record. You can verify this by going through the records of the hearing of November 7, 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 been entangled in this big game. I am being used as a pawn.”



Message to the Indian Government

Nikhil Gupta said he is being treated like an animal in prison. He and his family are waiting for help from the Indian government.

He said: “It has been over a year since I last met my family. During this time, even phone calls I make are abruptly cut off. I am in solitary confinement and treated like an animal. I am more worried about my family than myself. I am worried about how they are coping there. Our Hindi Films is 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.

My family and I are completely alone in this situation. No one has visited my family or responded to the numerous letters and emails from my mother and children, nor have I received any support. We are completely in the dark. This has become a political issue, I don't want to say anything more about it.

I and my family members expect support from the Indian government because I am an innocent man who has been wrongfully framed.”

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