Indian citizen admits guilt in plot to kill Sikh leader on US soil
A 54-year-old Indian man has admitted his role in a scheme to murder a prominent Sikh activist in New York
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – A 54-year-old Indian man has admitted his role in a scheme to murder a prominent Sikh activist in New York, according to an announcement from the US Justice Department on Friday.
Federal prosecutors stated that Nikhil Gupta confessed to three criminal counts: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to launder money as part of the unsuccessful assassination attempt.
Gupta’s guilty plea was entered February 13 before the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, with sentencing set for May 29.
Justice Department officials revealed that Gupta took orders from Vikash Yadav, an operative within India’s Cabinet Secretariat—the governmental body that supervises RAW, India’s external intelligence agency.
Yadav has not been apprehended.
According to court documents, Yadav enlisted Gupta in May 2023 to orchestrate the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen and attorney who campaigns for Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh nation.
Gupta reached out to someone he thought was a criminal contact, but who was actually cooperating with federal authorities. This intermediary connected him with an undercover agent pretending to be a contract killer.
Court filings indicate the conspirators settled on a fee of $100,000 for the murder, with roughly $15,000 transferred upfront. Law enforcement prevented the scheme before any violence occurred.
US Attorney Jay Clayton stated that Gupta mistakenly thought he could harm an individual on American soil “simply for exercising their American right to free speech,” adding that he will now be held accountable.
Federal investigators characterized the incident as a case of “transnational repression.”
The matter unfolds against a backdrop of escalating friction between India and Western nations regarding suspected threats to Sikh separatist figures living overseas.
Canadian authorities have made separate accusations that India played a role in the 2023 murder of a different Sikh activist outside a house of worship in British Columbia—claims that the Indian government has rejected.
Czech authorities detained Gupta in June 2023 before transferring him to American custody.
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