Indian National Charged in Plot to Assassinate Sikh Separatist in US

Nikhil Gupta, 52, has been charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire in connection with a foiled plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.

An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, has been charged in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City. The charges were announced by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Matthew G. Olsen. Gupta, 52, has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Gupta's Alleged Role in the Plot

According to the indictment, Gupta agreed to pay an assassin USD 100,000 to kill the Sikh separatist leader. On or about June 9, 2023, Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver USD 15,000 in cash to the assassin as an advance payment for the murder. The indictment does not name the Sikh separatist leader, but The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that US authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate banned Sikhs for Justice’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

US Attorney's Statement

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement that Gupta conspired from India to assassinate a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs. Williams said that his Office and law enforcement partners neutralised this "deadly and outrageous threat. We will not tolerate efforts to assassinate US citizens on US soil, and stand ready to investigate, thwart, and prosecute anyone who seeks to harm and silence Americans here or abroad.”

Gupta's Arrest and Potential Extradition

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, pursuant to a bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic. It is not immediately clear when Gupta might be extradited to the US.

India's Response

The development came on a day when India said that it has constituted a high-level enquiry committee to probe allegations relating to a conspiracy to kill the Sikh extremist on American soil. India's External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised criminals, gun runners and terrorists and that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on our national security interests as well and that relevant departments were examining the issue. India constituted a high-level enquiry committee on November 18 to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter.

The case highlights the lengths to which some individuals will go to silence dissent and suppress freedom of speech. The US authorities' swift action in this case sends a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.