Who is Nikhil Gupta? Indian national pleads guilty in New York murder plot linked to Khalistan activist

In a statement, the United States Department of Justice said that United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky, DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office James C. Barnacle Jr. announced that Gupta, also known as “Nick,” pleaded guilty to all three counts in the Second Superseding Indictment.

The charges include murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in connection with a plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil.

Gupta entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on May 29, 2026.

FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said Gupta was a key participant in a murder-for-hire plot that was thwarted by U.S. law enforcement. He described the intended target as a victim of “transnational repression” for exercising freedom of speech, adding that authorities would pursue anyone who attempts to harm U.S. citizens.

DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said the case demonstrated how international narcotics and weapons trafficking can escalate into deadly violence. He praised the DEA’s New York Task Force Division for foiling the assassination plot and reiterated the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. alleged that Gupta acted at the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee, facilitating an unlawful effort to silence a vocal critic of the Indian government. He said the FBI would continue to counter foreign adversaries targeting U.S. citizens.

Allegations in the Indictment

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2023 Gupta worked with others in India and elsewhere, including co-defendant Vikash Yadav, who at the time was an Indian government employee, to plot the assassination of an attorney and political activist in the United States.

The intended victim, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin, is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization advocating for the secession of Punjab and the creation of a sovereign Sikh state called Khalistan. The organization has been banned in India.

In May 2023, Yadav allegedly recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination. At Yadav’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual he believed to be a criminal associate, who was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA. The source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was actually a DEA undercover officer.

According to prosecutors, Yadav agreed to pay $100,000 for the killing. On or about June 9, 2023, an associate delivered $15,000 in cash to the undercover officer as an advance payment.

In June 2023, Yadav allegedly provided Gupta with the victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers, and details about daily routines. Gupta passed this information to the undercover officer and provided Yadav with regular updates, including surveillance photographs.

Prosecutors further allege that Gupta urged the undercover officer to carry out the murder quickly but instructed that it not be done around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States in June 2023.

Reference to Nijjar Killing

On June 18, 2023, masked gunmen shot dead Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar, like the intended U.S. victim, was associated with the Sikh separatist movement and was an outspoken critic of the Indian government.

According to court filings, the day after Nijjar’s killing, Gupta told the undercover officer that Nijjar “was also the target” and added, “we have so many targets.” He allegedly said that following Nijjar’s death, there was “now no need to wait” to kill the U.S.-based activist.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and later extradited to the United States.

He pleaded guilty to:

Murder-for-hire (maximum sentence of 10 years)

Conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire (maximum sentence of 10 years)

Conspiracy to commit money laundering (maximum sentence of 20 years)

Diplomatic Implications

The case has had broader diplomatic ramifications. India has distanced itself from any alleged plot.

In November 2023, the Indian government set up a high-level inquiry committee to examine the matter. The panel submitted its findings in January 2025, reportedly recommending legal action while noting that the individual involved had prior criminal antecedents, though it did not publicly name the official.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist by India, holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada.