The United States has accused an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, of conspiring to assassinate a US citizen. Gupta was detained in the Czech Republic on June 20 and is currently awaiting extradition to the United States. The charges against him relate to an alleged plot to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist leader.
Gupta, a 52-year-old Indian man, was arrested in the Czech Republic in June, marking the centre of an international assassination scheme. The US views Gupta as a crucial figure in a plan to kill a Sikh leader residing in the US. The target of the alleged plot is a vocal critic of the Indian government and an advocate for separatist movements in Punjab.
Federal prosecutor Damian Williams in a statement said, “The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs.” While the prosecutors did not explicitly name the target, US officials identified him as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of Sikhs for Justice, a pro-Khalistan group campaigning for an independent Sikh state.
The plot becomes more complex with the involvement of an unnamed Indian government employee, described as a senior field officer in security and intelligence, who allegedly recruited Gupta for the assassination. According to US authorities, this government employee agreed to pay an undercover US agent US$100,000 for the killing in dealings brokered by Gupta. Unbeknownst to Gupta, the ‘hitman’ was an undercover US agent.
These developments have not only raised concerns but have also heightened diplomatic tensions, reminding of a similar incident in Canada involving the killing of another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leading to a diplomatic dispute between Ottawa and New Delhi. The US has expressed grave concern over these allegations in talks with Indian authorities.
After Nijjar’s killing, Gupta allegedly told undercover US agents that there was “no need to wait” to harm the US target. The US Justice Department (DoJ) claims he stated that Nijjar “was also the target” and that they had many targets. Earlier, Gupta had advised the ‘hitman’ to avoid carrying out the assassination during a period when high-level meetings between US and Indian government officials were expected.
Nikhil Gupta has reportedly admitted to a history of criminal activities, including drug and weapon trafficking, when discussing his past with undercover agents. He faces charges of two counts of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy, potentially leading to a prison sentence of up to 20 years if found guilty.
According to the Department of Justice (DoJ) release, earlier this year, an Indian government employee, working with others, including Gupta, directed a plot to assassinate a US-based attorney and political activist of Indian origin residing in New York City. This government employee, referred to as “CC-1,” is alleged to have directed the assassination plot from India, recruiting Gupta to carry it out in the United States.
CC-1, described as an Indian government agency employee, has variously identified himself as a ‘Senior Field Officer’ with responsibilities in ‘Security Management’ and ‘Intelligence.’ He has referenced serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving ‘officer training’ in ‘battle-craft’ and ‘weapons.’ The DoJ claims CC-1 orchestrated the plot and recruited Gupta.
To execute the assassination, Gupta, at CC-1’s direction, contacted an individual he believed to be a criminal associate. This person, however, was a confidential source working with US law enforcement. The source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was an undercover US law enforcement officer. A deal of $100,000 was brokered for the job.
After initial payments, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s home address in New York City and phone numbers. Gupta, thinking he was communicating with a hitman, instructed not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements between high-level US and Indian government officials.
The DoJ release consistently refers to the target as the ‘Victim’ without disclosing the name. The alleged target is described as a New York-based attorney who is a vocal critic of the Indian government, leading a US-based organization advocating for Punjab’s secession and the establishment of a Sikh sovereign state. The Indian government has reportedly banned the Victim and his separatist organization from India.
Recent reports indicated an alleged conspiracy to assassinate lawyer and Khalistan supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil, which was reportedly foiled by US authorities with a warning issued to the Indian government. In response, India expressed concern, stating that the US shared inputs regarding the nexus between organized criminals, gun runners, terrorists, and others during recent discussions on India-US security cooperation.
The Indian government announced the formation of a high-level inquiry committee to probe into all relevant aspects of the matter. As for Nikhil Gupta, not much is known about him except that he is an Indian national residing in the US. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, 2023, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.
