Gupta's Guilty Plea
Nikhil Gupta, a 54-year-old Indian national, has formally admitted his guilt in a Manhattan federal court concerning a meticulously planned assassination
attempt. He pleaded guilty to three serious charges: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. These charges stem from his alleged orchestration of an attempt to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent dual US-Canadian citizen and a key figure in the Sikh separatist movement who resides in New York. Gupta's plea marks a significant development in the US government's efforts to prosecute foreign-directed plots on its soil. He now awaits sentencing, facing a potential maximum of 40 years in prison, with the final punishment to be determined by US District Judge Victor Marrero on May 29, 2026.
International Trafficker's Role
Identified as an international narcotics and weapons trafficker known by the alias 'Nick,' Nikhil Gupta's alleged involvement in the plot unfolded after his arrest in June 2023 by Czech authorities, acting on a request from the US government. Following his extradition to the United States, Gupta was held in Brooklyn. US prosecutors contend that Gupta was recruited by an individual identified only as 'CC-1,' described as a senior field officer responsible for intelligence within the Indian government. This official purportedly tasked Gupta with arranging the assassination of Pannun, a US citizen designated as a terrorist by India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The indictment further alleges that Gupta collaborated with others, including co-defendant Vikash Yadav, an employee of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, to carry out this directive on American territory.
The Assassination Scheme
The alleged conspiracy, which reportedly began around May 2023, involved Gupta reaching out to an individual he believed to be a contract killer. Unbeknownst to Gupta, this contact was actually a confidential informant working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This informant then connected Gupta to an undercover DEA officer who posed as the hired assassin. Court documents reveal that Gupta and the undercover officer agreed on a price of $100,000 (approximately Rs 90.56 lakh) for the assassination, with an initial payment of $15,000 (around Rs 13.58 lakh) being provided as a cash advance. Vikash Yadav allegedly supplied Gupta with crucial personal details of the target, including Pannun's home address, phone numbers, and daily routine in New York City. CC-1 also provided this information to Gupta in June and instructed him to provide regular progress updates on the plot. Notably, Gupta communicated to the undercover officer that following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, there was 'now no need to wait' to proceed with Pannun's assassination.
