Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Manhattan to charges tied to a 2023 conspiracy to hire a killer to target Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City, according to U.S. prosecutors. Indian officials have denied allegations that Gupta was recruited by the Indian government, while U.S. authorities have described the case as part of an effort to target a U.S. citizen for speech protected in the United States.

Prosecutors say Gupta worked from India to arrange a murder-for-hire scheme with an undercover DEA source, discussed payments of $15,000 upfront and $85,000 after the killing, and was arrested June 30, 2023, at the Prague airport, extradited to the U.S., and has now pleaded guilty, while an indicted alleged organizer, Vikash Yadav, remains at large.

The case has fueled sharp debate about how the U.S. should respond when foreign officials are accused of pursuing political opponents beyond their borders. Federal investigators and prosecutors have framed the allegations as an example of “transnational repression,” while Indian officials have continued to deny government involvement and have described Yadav as a “rogue operative.”

How The Alleged Plot Took Shape

According to Breitbart, Pannun is an American citizen and a lawyer associated with Sikhs for Justice, an advocacy group that supports the Khalistani movement calling for an independent Sikh nation in Punjab, a northern Indian state. The government of India strongly disapproves of the movement, and New Delhi has branded Pannun a “terrorist” and outlawed Sikhs for Justice, according to Indian officials.

U.S. prosecutors allege an Indian intelligence official, Vikash Yadav, recruited Gupta to help arrange Pannun’s killing and provided details meant to facilitate it. Those details included Pannun’s New York City home address, phone numbers, and information about his routine activities, according to prosecutors.

In court filings described by U.S. authorities, Gupta said he was an “international narcotics and weapons trafficker,” and prosecutors say he was selected because he claimed to have criminal connections in the United States. Authorities say Gupta, operating from within India, attempted to hire a contract killer but instead communicated with an undercover source for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Money, Timing, And A DEA Undercover Contact

Prosecutors say Gupta offered to arrange $15,000 in cash upfront and another $85,000 after the killing was completed. Investigators also alleged that Gupta discussed timing and said he did not want the killing carried out too close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the United States in June 2023.

The allegations surfaced amid wider scrutiny of claims that India has acted against Sikh separatists on foreign soil. In Canada, Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by masked gunmen in Vancouver on June 18, 2023, and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly accused India of assassinating him, triggering a major diplomatic feud between Canada and India.

After Nijjar’s death, prosecutors say Gupta told the undercover DEA contact that Nijjar was “also the target,” adding that there were “so many targets” and that there was “now no need to wait” to kill Pannun because Nijjar’s killing had drawn worldwide attention. The U.S. has argued the statements show a broader pattern, while India has rejected claims tying the government to the New York plot.

Arrest Abroad And A Case In Manhattan

Gupta was arrested June 30, 2023, at the Prague airport in the Czech Republic, authorities said. He was extradited to the United States to face trial in Manhattan federal court.

Yadav has been indicted in federal court in Manhattan but remains at large, according to prosecutors. Authorities say he was working for India’s Cabinet Secretariat at the time he allegedly helped orchestrate the murder-for-hire plot, an allegation Indian officials have not accepted.

Gupta pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the case details. Under the plea deal described in the report, he will serve at least 20 years in prison.

Officials Frame The Case As Transnational Repression

FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said Pannun “became a target of transnational repression” for exercising free speech. Rozhavsky added, “No matter where you are located, if you try to harm our citizens, we will not stop until you are brought to justice.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr., said the plot was carried out at the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee and was an effort to silence a critic of the Indian government. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Gupta plotted to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City and would face justice.

Even as prosecutors have laid out allegations involving an Indian intelligence official, U.S. officials under both the Biden and Trump administrations have avoided accusing Modi of involvement in the plot. Indian officials continue to deny that Gupta had any connection to the Indian government and generally have declined to answer media questions about the case.

Why This Story Matters

This case matters because it centers on an alleged plan to kill an American citizen in New York City, raising questions about security and political intimidation beyond U.S. borders. It also tests how federal law enforcement responds when prosecutors allege coordination by a foreign government employee while the accused organizer remains outside U.S. custody.

For communities in the U.S. and Canada, the case has become intertwined with long-running tensions around the Khalistani movement and India’s opposition to it. The public allegations, denials, and diplomatic fallout connected to the Nijjar killing have amplified concerns about whether activists are safe when disputes overseas spill into North American cities.

In Manhattan, the courtroom was filled on Monday with Sikhs from the U.S. and Canada, including people who identified themselves as members of the Khalistani movement. After the hearing, attendees chanted slogans, held a prayer service outside the courthouse, and waved American flags and yellow-and-blue Khalistan flags.

Lessons To Learn

Targeted violence and intimidation can happen in many forms, and this case underscores that alleged threats may involve long-distance coordination and intermediaries.

1) Take unusual threats seriously and report them to law enforcement, especially if they involve specific details about your routines, home, or communications. Cases that rely on paid intermediaries can involve surveillance and information-gathering, so early reporting can help investigators identify patterns.

2) Protect personal information where possible, including addresses and phone numbers, and be mindful of predictable routines.

3) If you are involved in activism or high-profile advocacy, consider basic security planning with trusted advisors.

Pannun told the BBC on Monday that Gupta’s guilty plea was “judicial confirmation that India’s Modi government orchestrated a structured murder-for-hire assassination plot on American soil.” In a telephone interview the same day, he called Gupta “just a foot soldier,” and said “the direction and the funds are authorized by the Indian government,” while Indian officials continued to deny any government link and have described Yadav as a “rogue operative” who no longer works for New Delhi.

In the end, prosecutors say the alleged plot began with an overseas recruitment effort and moved into undercover communications involving proposed payments and timing concerns, before Gupta’s arrest in Prague and extradition to Manhattan. Gupta’s guilty plea to murder-for-hire and related conspiracies sets a minimum 20-year prison term under his deal, while the indicted alleged organizer remains at large. The case has drawn public reaction from Sikh communities and renewed attention to claims of overseas targeting, with U.S. officials emphasizing consequences for threats to U.S. citizens and Indian officials continuing to reject allegations of government involvement.