Indian National Admits Role in Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot Targeting Khalistani Separatist

An Indian citizen has admitted in a US federal court to his role in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting Sikh separatist figure Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, in a case that has attracted significant diplomatic scrutiny.

The United States Department of Justice said 54-year-old Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in Manhattan to charges including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2026, and faces a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison, subject to the court’s final determination.

According to US prosecutors, Gupta agreed to arrange the killing of a US citizen of Indian origin — described in court filings as an attorney and political activist based in New York. While the indictment refers to the intended target only as “the victim,” the individual is widely understood to be Pannun, who has been designated a terrorist by Indian authorities.

India has listed Pannun under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and banned his organisation, accusing him of promoting secessionism and violence in pursuit of a separate Sikh state, Khalistan. Pannun, however, operates from abroad and holds US citizenship.

US court documents allege that in 2023 Gupta was recruited by Vikash Yadav, identified in filings as an employee of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees the country’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. Prosecutors claim Gupta was directed to find a contract killer to carry out the assassination on American soil.

Authorities said Gupta unknowingly communicated with individuals cooperating with US law enforcement. He allegedly negotiated a payment of $100,000 for the killing, arranged a $15,000 advance, and shared detailed personal information about the target, including residential address and daily movements. The plot was ultimately disrupted through a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Prosecutors further allege that Gupta suggested delaying the planned attack to avoid coinciding with the Indian prime minister’s state visit to Washington in June 2023. Following the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada later that month, Gupta allegedly indicated that there was no longer a need to wait, according to court records.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and later extradited to the United States to face trial.

The case has carried diplomatic repercussions. In late 2023, New Delhi announced the formation of a high-level internal panel to review US allegations linked to the matter, stating that it took the claims seriously while rejecting suggestions of official involvement in unlawful activities.