US: Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty in Pannun murder-for-hire case
New York: Nikhil Gupta, accused of playing a central role in a foiled plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, pleaded guilty on Friday to three criminal counts in a federal court in Manhattan.
Gupta, 54, admitted to charges of murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan. The offences together carry a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison.
The guilty plea was entered before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. Gupta’s legal representatives were not immediately available to respond to queries following the hearing. US authorities have kept Gupta in custody at a Brooklyn jail since June 2024, when he was extradited from the Czech Republic. Czech police had arrested him in 2023 at the request of US investigators. After being brought to the United States, Gupta had initially pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege that Gupta sought to arrange the killing of Pannun for USD 100,000, targeting the Sikh separatist leader in New York. Pannun is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. The alleged plan collapsed after the individual presented as a contract killer was revealed to be an undercover federal agent.
Court filings say Gupta acted on instructions from an Indian government official identified by US authorities as Vikash Yadav. According to the US Justice Department, Yadav enlisted Gupta in May 2023 to help coordinate the operation against Pannun, who has been designated a terrorist in India.
India has rejected any involvement in an overseas assassination plot, stating that such actions are contrary to government policy. In November 2023, New Delhi constituted a high-level committee to examine the allegations raised by US authorities. The panel submitted its report in January 2025, shortly before Donald Trump assumed office. While the report did not name the official concerned, it recommended legal action and said the inquiry had uncovered the individual’s earlier criminal links and antecedents. Pannun heads the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice and has been accused by Indian authorities of financing violence and promoting Khalistani separatism. Born in Khankot village near Amritsar, he is believed to hold a law degree from Panjab University and has frequently issued video threats directed at India and Indians, including warnings related to Air India flights.agencies
