NEW YORK: An Indian national has pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to orchestrating a failed plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist activist in New York, in a case that American prosecutors say was directed by an Indian intelligence official.
Court documents cited by The New York Times and The Guardian state that the officer recruited the accused, approved the murder plan, provided the target’s address, and shared a video of a separate Sikh killing in Canada.
The case has deepened diplomatic strains between Washington, Ottawa, and New Delhi over allegations of targeting Sikh activists abroad.
Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to charges including murder for hire in Manhattan federal court. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 40 years for attempting to arrange the killing of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen and lawyer associated with the advocacy organization Sikhs for Justice. Pannun supports the creation of an independent Sikh state in India’s northern Punjab region.
Gupta is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29.
According to court filings, Gupta was recruited in May 2023 by Vikash Yadav, described by prosecutors as an official linked to India’s government, to coordinate the assassination of Pannun.
The case has intensified diplomatic strains, as U.S. and Canadian officials have asserted that India has engaged in efforts beyond its borders to silence Sikh separatists.
Tensions escalated sharply in 2023 following the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh cleric, outside a temple in British Columbia.
Canadian authorities publicly accused India of involvement, a charge New Delhi rejected, triggering a diplomatic dispute that included the mutual expulsion of diplomats.
Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement that the prosecution sends a clear message to foreign actors: they must not target individuals on American soil.
Prosecutors say Gupta’s alleged role in the conspiracy unfolded in June 2023, as President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was preparing to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state dinner at the White House — an event seen as part of broader U.S. efforts to strengthen ties with India amid strategic competition with China and Russia.
At the time of the state visit, Mr. Biden was unaware, according to prosecutors, that an Indian official had approved a plan to assassinate in the United States.
Days after the dinner, Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic. He was extradited to the United States in 2024 to stand trial.
U.S. officials have stated that there is no evidence that Prime Minister Modi was aware of the alleged plot. Both Mr. Biden and President Trump have refrained from publicly commenting on the case.
According to The New York Times and The Guardian, in Canada, however, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau directly blamed the Indian government for Nijjar’s killing, prompting a diplomatic confrontation between Ottawa and New Delhi. Canadian authorities charged several Indian nationals in connection with that homicide.
American intelligence agencies shared information with Canadian officials that Western allies say helped support Ottawa’s conclusion that India played a role in Nijjar’s death.
Canadian investigators also collected their own evidence, including intercepted communications involving Indian diplomats stationed in Canada.
In the U.S. case, prosecutors allege that Yadav was employed by India’s Cabinet Secretariat — an office that includes the country’s foreign intelligence service and operates under the prime minister’s authority — when he directed Gupta to arrange the killing.
Yadav has also been charged in Manhattan federal court with murder for hire and conspiracy offenses. Authorities say he remains outside U.S. custody.
According to the indictment, Gupta contacted an individual in the United States to find someone willing to carry out the assassination. That person was a confidential informant who introduced Gupta to another individual posing as a contract killer, but who was in fact an undercover agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In May 2023, prosecutors say, Yadav sent Gupta an encrypted message referencing a “target in New York.” Over the following weeks, Gupta allegedly communicated with the informant and the undercover agent to discuss logistics and negotiate payment for the killing.
At one stage, prosecutors said, Gupta identified the intended victim as a lawyer and suggested luring Pannun to a vulnerable location under the pretense of seeking legal assistance.
The indictment further alleges that on June 18, 2023 — the same day Nijjar was shot and killed in Canada — Yadav sent Gupta a video clip showing Nijjar slumped inside a vehicle. Prosecutors say Gupta then forwarded the footage to the informant and undercover agent. Later that day, Yadav allegedly provided Gupta with Pannun’s residential address in New York City.
Speaking briefly in court on Friday, Gupta acknowledged that in the spring of 2023, he agreed with another individual to kill a person in the United States. He also admitted to paying $15,000 to another party in furtherance of the plan, reports The New York Times and The Guardian.
Gupta’s attorney, David Touger, declined to comment following the hearing.
The case continues to reverberate diplomatically, underscoring growing friction between Western governments and India over allegations of transnational repression targeting Sikh activists abroad.
Alleged Involvement of Indian Official — What Prosecutors Say
U.S. prosecutors allege that the failed assassination plot against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was directed by an Indian government official operating from within India’s security apparatus.
Here is what court documents outline:
🔹 Recruitment and Direction
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In May 2023, Vikash Yadav allegedly recruited Nikhil Gupta to arrange the killing.
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Prosecutors say Yadav worked for India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses the country’s foreign intelligence service and functions under the Prime Minister’s Office.
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Yadav allegedly approved and supervised the plot.
🔹 Encrypted Messages and Target Details
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Court filings say Yadav sent Gupta an encrypted message referencing a “target in New York.”
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He allegedly provided Pannun’s identity and his residential address in New York City.
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Prosecutors say the assassination plan was discussed while Gupta coordinated with individuals he believed were hired killers.
🔹 Link to Canada Killing
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On June 18, 2023 — the day Sikh cleric Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Canada —
Yadav allegedly sent Gupta a video clip showing Nijjar slumped in a vehicle. -
Gupta then forwarded the video to a U.S. informant and undercover agent posing as hitmen.
🔹 Legal Status
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Yadav has been indicted in federal court in Manhattan on murder-for-hire and conspiracy charges.
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U.S. authorities say he remains at large.
🔹 Official Positions
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U.S. officials have said there is no evidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi knew about the alleged plot.
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The Indian government has denied involvement in both the U.S. assassination plot and the 2023 killing in Canada.
The allegations form part of a broader diplomatic dispute involving the United States, Canada, and India over claims of targeting Sikh separatists abroad.
