Nikhil Gupta Pleads Guilty in NY Murder-for-Hire Plot Against Pannun

In a Manhattan federal court on Friday, Indian national Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with an alleged plan to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who is a U.S. resident and dual U.S.-Canadian citizen. Prosecutors noted the charges carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison.

Gupta has been jailed in Brooklyn since his June 2024 extradition to the United States from the Czech Republic, where he was arrested roughly a year earlier. The government accused Gupta of plotting with an Indian government official to carry out the killing, marking a case that has drawn attention to cross-border efforts against Sikh activists.

The plea was entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors said Gupta admitted his role in the murder-for-hire scheme, the conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and the money-laundering conspiracy. His lawyers were not immediately available for comment. The case has already shed light on investigations into alleged assassination plots targeting Sikh leaders in the United States and Canada, drawing responses from India that it dissociated itself from any such plans and maintains opposition to violence.

The broader implications of the case extend to U.S.-India relations and the ongoing challenge of transnational crime involving diaspora communities. The authorities described the plot as sophisticated and far-reaching, underscoring the global nature of efforts to threaten individuals abroad. Gupta’s guilty plea closes a key chapter in a case that prosecutors say reflects ongoing concerns about international crime networks and the potential reach of such plots.

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