An Indian national has pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court to charges tied to an alleged assassination plot targeting a Sikh separatist leader in New York City. Fifty‑four‑year‑old Nikhil Gupta admitted to murder‑for‑hire conspiracy to commit murder‑for‑hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges that carry a combined potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
Prosecutors say Gupta was part of a failed plot in 2023 to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun a U.S. resident and dual U.S Canadian citizen who leads the Sikhs for Justice advocacy group and has campaigned for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India. Investigators allege Gupta conspired with an individual identified as an Indian government official to hire what he believed was a hitman to carry out the killing. The scheme was foiled when the supposed contract killer turned out to be an undercover law enforcement operative.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in 2023 extradited to the United States in 2024 and initially pleaded not guilty upon arrival. He has remained in custody in Brooklyn since his extradition. U.S. Attorney’s Office officials have condemned the plot as an unlawful attempt to target someone exercising free speech and warned foreign actors against attempting violence on American soil. India has denied involvement in the assassination plot saying such actions contradict government policy.
Sentencing for Gupta is scheduled for May 29 and the case has added tension to international discussions about transnational plots targeting dissidents abroad and the enforcement of U.S. law against foreign‑backed schemes.
