The case has drawn international attention and added to tensions surrounding allegations of transnational repression and political violence
Pravasi Samwad New Delhi Bureau
Indian national Nikhil Gupta has pleaded guilty in a United States federal court to charges linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The plea was entered in a Manhattan court, where Gupta admitted to taking part in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting Pannun, who is based in New York and leads the group Sikhs for Justice.
Gupta, 54, acknowledged that he paid 15,000 US dollars to a person he believed was a contract killer to carry out the attack in mid-2023. He had earlier denied the accusations but changed his plea on Friday. The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed that he pleaded guilty to three charges: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
US authorities have alleged that Gupta was recruited by an individual linked to the Indian government, an allegation New Delhi has rejected, stating that such actions do not reflect official policy
According to the indictment, a person referred to as “CC-1”, described as a senior security and intelligence officer, contacted Gupta and encouraged him to organise the killing. The US government later identified this individual as Vikash Yadav, a former officer of the Central Reserve Police Force who was reportedly working within India’s cabinet secretariat at the time.
US Attorney Jay Clayton said Gupta believed he could arrange the killing from outside the country without facing consequences, but would now be held accountable under American law. Gupta has been held in custody in Brooklyn since his extradition from the Czech Republic in June 2024 and has been denied bail.
The three charges carry a combined maximum sentence of up to 40 years in prison. US District Judge Victor Marrero is scheduled to deliver the sentence on May 29.
