An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, was charged by federal prosecutors for his role in a thwarted plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist in the US. Gupta faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, with a maximum sentence of 10 years each, according to US Attorney Matthew G. Olsen.
US authorities allege that Gupta agreed to pay $100,000 to an assassin to kill the Sikh separatist leader in New York. The charges state that an initial $15,000 in cash was delivered as an advance payment for the murder on June 9, 2023.
The indictment, while not naming the US citizen target, aligns with reports by The Financial Times that the plot aimed at Sikhs for Justice’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. US Attorney Damian Williams emphasized that the defendant conspired from India to assassinate a US citizen advocating for Sikh sovereignty.
Williams stated, “We will not tolerate efforts to assassinate US citizens on US soil,” noting that law enforcement neutralized the threat. The indictment reveals Gupta’s involvement in a plot orchestrated by an Indian government employee, detained in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, awaiting possible extradition to the US.
As this unfolded, India formed a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the matter, acknowledging the serious implications for national security. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi stated that relevant departments were examining the inputs shared by the US regarding the nexus between criminals, gun runners, and terrorists.
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