Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to plotting the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York
He admitted to charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering and now faces up to 40 years in prison.
The U.S. Justice Department said the case highlights foreign-linked criminal plots, while India denied any official involvement.
Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a murder plot targeting separatist leader and Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York City. In a shocking development, the 54-year-old admitted to all three charges against him, including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, on February 12, 2026.
Gupta stood before a Manhattan federal courtroom and admitted that he had agreed to pay $15,000 to have the Sikh separatist leader murdered. The charges against Gupta could put him at risk of up to 40 years in a U.S. federal prison. The BBC reported that Gupta was allegedly directed to plot the assassination of Pannun by an Indian government official, a claim that was immediately refuted by India.
Following Gupta’s arrest in June 2023 in the Czech Republic, the U.S. Justice Department filed charges against him in November 2023. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated that Gupta would face justice and warned “nefarious foreign actors” to “steer clear of the United States and our people.” Gupta pleaded guilty under oath and said, “In the spring of 2023, I agreed with another person to have another individual murder a person in the United States.” He further added that he was aware of the victim’s location, which was New York at the time, and that the person who received the payment for the assassination was in Manhattan.
According to U.S. federal law, Gupta could face a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison — 10 years for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, another 10 years for murder-for-hire, and up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit money laundering. However, judges do not always impose the maximum prison sentence. They first follow sentencing guidelines that recommend an appropriate punishment for the crime and then consider other legal factors before reaching a final decision.
Gupta told the court that he is an Indian citizen involved in dealing weapons and narcotics. According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Vikash Yadav was recruited by Nikhil Gupta to plan the murder. As per reports, Yadav worked for the Cabinet Secretariat of the Indian government. Yadav has not been charged with any criminal offences as of now. Prosecutors claimed that Yadav provided Gupta with information about the target. The information, including the target’s home address, was allegedly passed on to the hitman.
In 2023, another Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was assassinated in Canada. He was also an associate of the target identified by Gupta. Canada has accused India of involvement in Nijjar’s murder and in the alleged plot to target Pannun.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn recommended that District Judge Victor Marrero accept the plea, and the district court subsequently issued an order accepting it. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 29, 2026.
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