Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national accused of plotting to assassinate a US-based Sikh activist, has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges in a New York federal court. Gupta faces a maximum of 40 years in prison for murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money-laundering, according to the US attorney's office in Manhattan.
US Attorney Jay Clayton said Gupta thought he could kill a US citizen exercising free speech rights without consequence, but he was wrong. FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle added that Gupta acted 'at the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee'. The plot targeted Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an advocate for a sovereign Sikh state residing in New York.
Pannun called the guilty plea a 'judicial confirmation' that the Indian government of Narendra Modi orchestrated the assassination plot. He accused Modi's administration of targeting an American citizen for organising a peaceful political campaign. The case has drawn parallels to the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, which sparked diplomatic tensions.
Gupta was extradited from the Czech Republic after being indicted in November 2023. He had contacted an individual he believed was a criminal associate but who was actually a confidential source working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Another Indian official, Vikash Yadav, remains at large and is subject to a federal arrest warrant.
India's government has distanced itself from the plot, calling it against policy. However, Pannun rejected claims of a 'rogue agent', saying evidence in federal court undermines that narrative. The case unfolds amid improving US-India relations, with President Donald Trump recently praising Prime Minister Modi as a friend and announcing trade concessions.
