In one of the most internationally-sensitive cases involving an Indian citizen in recent weeks, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, pleaded guilty this week in a Manhattan federal court to charges including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money laundering. The case stems from a foiled plot in New York to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist activist and U.S. citizen who advocates for an independent Khalistan — a cause India’s government opposes and designates as extremist.
Gupta, aged 54, was extradited to the United States from the Czech Republic in 2024 after being implicated in the conspiracy that allegedly involved hiring someone he believed to be a hitman, with an advance payment of about $15,000. U.S. prosecutors say he believed the target posed a threat to national security, although Gupta worked under misapprehension because the supposed hitman was in fact an undercover federal agent.
The case has strained diplomatic discussions, as U.S. authorities asserted the plot was orchestrated with involvement from an individual linked to Indian government services, a claim New Delhi has denied. The U.S. Department of Justice and FBI have strongly condemned the plot, emphasising that foreign interference in the United States will be prosecuted vigorously. Gupta’s sentencing is scheduled for May 29, 2026, and under federal guidelines he faces a minimum of 20 years imprisonment, although a reduced sentence might be possible due to his guilty plea and cooperation.
