An Indian citizen, Nikhil Gupta, has admitted his involvement in a 2023 plot to kill a prominent Khalistani separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, residing in the United States.
The plea comes amid ongoing diplomatic tensions between Washington and New Delhi over allegations of state-sponsored targeting of dissidents abroad.
Nikhil Gupta, a 54-year-old Indian national, entered a guilty plea on February 13 in a Manhattan federal court to charges including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr. Gupta orchestrated the failed attempt to hire an assassin to eliminate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and vocal advocate for an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan.
Mr. Pannun, who leads the organization Sikhs for Justice, is notorious for his separatist activities and more so for his inflammatory statements.
According to court documents, Mr. Gupta was directed by an Indian government official, identified as Vikash Yadav, to carry out the assassination on American soil. The plot unraveled when Nikhil Gupta unknowingly contacted an undercover US operative posing as a hitman, leading to his arrest in Prague, Czech Republic, in June 2023. He was subsequently extradited to the United States to face trial.
Nikhil Gupta faces a potential maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, with his sentencing hearing set for May 29, 2026.
US Attorney Jay Clayton described the case as a stark example of foreign interference, stating that the plot aimed to silence a US citizen exercising free speech rights. The conviction echoes a parallel incident in Canada, where Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in 2023, an event Ottawa has attributed to Indian agents – claims that India has vehemently rejected.
The Indian government has consistently denied any involvement in the Pannun plot, labeling the accusations as baseless and politically motivated. Officials in New Delhi maintained that such allegations strain bilateral relations and distract from mutual interests in security and trade.
As investigations continue, Vikash Yadav remains at large in India, and no extradition requests have been publicly confirmed. However, the FBI is currently requesting any information regarding Mr. Yadav.