An Indian national has admitted in a US federal court that he took part in a failed plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based Sikh separatist leader who holds both American and Canadian citizenship.
Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty in connection with the conspiracy, marking a significant development in a case that has drawn attention in Washington and abroad. US authorities allege the plan targeted Pannun on American soil and was foiled before any attack could be carried out.
Gupta entered his guilty plea in federal court in Manhattan, admitting to murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The announcement was made by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, along with senior officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Prosecutors said Gupta, also known as Nick, pleaded guilty to all three counts outlined in a second superseding indictment related to efforts to have a US citizen killed in New York City.
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Gupta appeared before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn to enter the plea. He is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Victor Marrero on May 29, 2026.
“Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City,” as per U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “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. Our message to all nefarious foreign actors should be clear: steer clear of the United States and our people.”
Who is Nikhil Gupta?
Nikhil Gupta, also known as Nick, has acknowledged his involvement in international narcotics and arms trafficking. He was taken into custody by authorities in the Czech Republic in June 2023 following a request from the United States and was later extradited to face proceedings there.
US prosecutors have also charged Gupta with attempting to hire a contract killer to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen who has been designated a terrorist under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
According to the original indictment, Gupta was allegedly recruited by an Indian government official identified as “CC-1” and worked with others in a purported plot targeting Pannun. The document described CC-1 as a “senior field officer” whose responsibilities include “intelligence.”
Since being extradited, Gupta has been held in Brooklyn. He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
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According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the alleged plot dates back to May 2023, when Gupta was allegedly approached by Vikash Yadav. Court filings identify Yadav as a co-accused and an employee of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees the country’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
“At the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee, Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a United States citizen on American soil, facilitating a foreign adversary’s unlawful effort to silence a vocal critic of the Indian government,” as per FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI will continue to aggressively defend the homeland against any foreign adversaries who target our citizens for exercising their constitutionally protected rights.”
Prosecutors allege that Gupta was tasked with coordinating the killing of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States. Acting on those instructions, he is said to have contacted someone he believed to be part of the criminal underworld to arrange a contract killing.
However, that individual was a confidential informant working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. The informant then introduced Gupta to an undercover DEA officer posing as a hitman, according to the prosecution.
“In or about 2023, Gupta worked together with others in India and elsewhere, including, as alleged in the Second Superseding Indictment, co-defendant Vikash Yadav, who was at relevant times an Indian government employee, to plot the assassination of an attorney and political activist (Pannun, called ‘the victim’),” as per the indictment.
Investigators say Gupta and the supposed hitman agreed on a price of $100,000 to carry out the assassination, with $15,000 paid upfront in cash. Yadav allegedly shared detailed personal information about Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, including his New York City home address, phone numbers, and aspects of his daily routine.
In June, CC-1 is said to have provided Gupta with similar personal details about the target, which Gupta then forwarded to the undercover officer posing as the assassin. Prosecutors claim CC-1 sought regular updates on the plan’s progress.
Around the time of the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, Gupta allegedly told the undercover officer that there was “now no need to wait” to move ahead with killing Pannun.