Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who was accused of being involved in the failed assassination plot of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, pleaded guilty on Friday (13th February). The development was confirmed by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York. 54-year-old Gupta admitted to all charges filed against him, including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Gupta is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Victor Marrero on 29th May.
As per reports, Nikhil Gupta admitted before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court to paying $15,000 to a person to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 2023. Gupta was arrested by Czech authorities in Prague in June 2023 at the request of US authorities and extradited to the USA in June 2024. He has been jailed in Brooklyn ever since. In November 2023, officials from the US Justice Department announced charges against Gupta.
The US law enforcement authorities had alleged that Gupta was recruited as part of the assassination plot by a former intelligence officer, Vikash Yadav. In October 2024, the External Affairs Ministry of India said Yadav was dismissed from service following the US indictment in November 2023.
“Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a US citizen in New York City. He thought that from outside this country, he could kill someone in it without consequence, simply for exercising their American right to free speech. But he was wrong, and he will face justice,” said US Attorney Jay Clayton.
Alleged assassination plot against Pannun
In November 2024, the US Justice Department claimed that Vikash Yadav recruited Nikhil Gupta in May 2023 to hire a hitman to assassinate Pannun. On Yadav’s direction, Gupta allegedly contacted an individual whom he believed to be a criminal associate, but the person turned out to be a confidential source of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The confidential source introduced Gupta to a supposed hitman, but he was actually a DEA undercover officer.
Yadav agreed to pay $100,000 to the undercover officer to carry out the assassination. Subsequently, on June 9, 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the undercover officer as an advance payment. Yadav provided Pannun’s residential address, phone numbers, and details about Pannun’s routine to Gupta.
