Indian national Nikhil Gupta, facing charges in the US for conspiring to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, remains in Prague jail. The Czech Ministry of Justice has asserted that India has no jurisdiction in the case

A spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Justice said the judicial authorities in India have "no jurisdiction" in a case involving Nikhil Gupta, who has been charged by the US in an alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. The reaction came days after Gupta's family approached the Supreme Court seeking its intervention in the case.

Gupta, charged by the US government for his involvement in a conspiracy to kill Pannun, has been in jail in Prague since he was detained in the Czech Republic around six months ago.

The US federal prosecutors have charged Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.

Proceedings for Gupta's extradition are underway after the US approached the Czech government.

Last week, one of Gupta's family members approached the Supreme Court, requesting it to issue directions to the Indian government to intervene in the extradition proceedings and ensure a fair trial in the case.

India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the US's allegations on Gupta.

Speaking on India's intervention, Czech Ministry of Justice spokesperson Vladimir Repka said, "Any judicial authorities of the Republic of India have no jurisdiction in the matter in question. The case is under the jurisdiction of the competent authorities of the Czech Republic."

Repka also responded to allegations made in a petition filed in the Supreme Court by Gupta's family that he does not have adequate legal representation in the Czech Republic.

According to the applicable legislation of the Czech Republic, the defence counsel must always be representing a person against whom extradition proceedings are initiated, the spokesperson said.

"If a person does not have a defence counsel in cases where must have one, a defence counsel would be immediately appointed by the competent court," Repka told news agency PTI in an email responding to a query.

Repka said the Czech Ministry of Justice does not have any information, nor has received any complaints from Gupta or his defence counsel that he was not allowed to contact India's consular office.

He also dismissed allegations that Gupta was not being provided an appropriate diet in the prison.

"Likewise, the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic does not have any information, nor has received any complaints that Nikhil Gupta has been provided with an inappropriate diet," Repka said.