An Indian national has admitted before a United States federal court that he took part in a 2023 plan to hire a hitman to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.

 

According to the United States Department of Justice, 54-year-old Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and related conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors said Gupta transferred $15,000 to an individual he believed would carry out the killing.

 

However, the intended hitman was in fact a confidential source working with US law enforcement.

 

US authorities said the plot targeted Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and prominent advocate for an independent Sikh state known as Khalistan. Pannun is affiliated with Sikhs for Justice, a New York-based group that campaigns for the secession of Punjab from India.

 

The Department of Justice reported that Gupta was arrested in June 2023 at Prague Airport in the Czech Republic and later extradited to the United States to face charges.

 

According to the DOJ, Gupta pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Under federal sentencing guidelines, he faces a minimum of 20 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said the intended victim was targeted for exercising freedom of speech. In a statement reported by the Associated Press, FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said the plot amounted to “transnational repression”.

 

Prosecutors further alleged that an Indian government employee directed Gupta to arrange the assassination. According to reporting by the Associated Press, the individual identified by US authorities as Vikash Yadav remains at large.

 

The Indian government has denied any involvement in the alleged operation. New Delhi has previously stated that such actions would be contrary to official policy, according to international media reports.

 

The case has added strain to diplomatic relations between Washington and New Delhi, and also comes amid tensions between India and Canada over allegations of threats to Sikh activists abroad, as reported by the BBC News.

 

Following the court hearing, Sikh supporters gathered outside the courthouse in New York. According to the Associated Press, some waved Khalistan flags and held prayers in support of Pannun.

 

Pannun, who has been designated a “terrorist” by the Indian government, told the Associated Press he would continue his activism despite the threat to his life. He denied being involved in terrorism and described himself as a human rights lawyer advocating for equal rights in Punjab.

 

The case remains one of the most high-profile alleged plots involving foreign dissidents on US soil in recent years, with sentencing proceedings now pending in federal court.