US court bars classified information access in Nikhil Gupta-Pannun case

A U.S. federal judge in Manhattan has allowed government prosecutors to keep certain secret government records out of the hands of Nikhil Gupta’s defense team, even as his high-profile trial approaches in November.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

In a 17 September ruling, Judge Victor Marrero agreed with prosecutors who argued that some classified information in their possession was either repetitive of what the defense already has or not relevant to the case. The decision was taken under Gurpatwant Singh Pannun the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA), a U.S. law that lets judges decide whether secret national security material must be shared with the defense.

Such proceedings are often held in closed-door sessions, where even the defense lawyers are sometimes excluded, to protect sensitive intelligence.

This came after earlier hearings in August and September where the court met separately with Gupta’s lawyers and with the government to understand both sides’ positions. The judge's order, as well as the sensitive records in question, will remain sealed.