Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty in plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun: Report

Gurpatwant Pannun

Nikhil Gupta, an Indian man charged with orchestrating an unsuccessful plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges in a Manhattan federal court.

Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison, Reuters reported citing a spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office in Manhattan.

Gupta entered his plea before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court. His lawyers were not immediately available for comment.

Gupta has remained in custody in Brooklyn since his extradition to the United States in June 2024 from the Czech Republic, where he was arrested a year earlier. Following his extradition, he entered a plea of not guilty.

According to US prosecutors, Nikhil Gupta worked with an Indian government official in an alleged plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds US and Canadian citizenship.

Prosecutors allege that Nikhil Gupta agreed to pay $100,000 to hire a contract killer to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, allegedly at the direction of an Indian government official identified by US authorities as Vikash Yadav. The plot fell apart when the purported hitman was revealed to be an undercover federal agent.

The United States Department of Justice has said Yadav brought Gupta into the conspiracy in May 2023 to help coordinate the plot to kill Pannun in New York.

The Indian government has denied any involvement, stating that it was against government policy.

Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun?

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who heads the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice, has been listed as a terrorist by India for backing violence and advocating Khalistani extremism.

He was born in Khankot village near Amritsar and is believed to be a law graduate of Panjab University.

Over the years, he has courted controversy by issuing open threats against India and its citizens, including video messages warning that Air India passengers could face threats to their lives.