An Indian national has pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to orchestrating a failed assassination plot against a Sikh separatist leader in New York, in a case that has heightened diplomatic tensions and raised concerns about transnational repression.
Nikhil Gupta, who was extradited to the United States in 2024, admitted on Friday in federal court in Manhattan to all three charges against him, including murder-for-hire and two counts of conspiracy. Prosecutors estimate that under federal sentencing guidelines, he could face up to 24 years in prison.
According to U.S. authorities, Gupta was recruited by an official allegedly connected to the Indian government to arrange the killing of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen and prominent advocate for Sikh independence. India’s government has denied any involvement in the plot.
Pannun is affiliated with Sikhs for Justice, a New York-based organization that campaigns for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland, often referred to as Khalistan, in India’s northern state of Punjab. The group has been designated as unlawful by Indian authorities.
Prosecutors said the plot was part of a broader pattern of threats and attacks against Sikh separatists abroad, including the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada last year—an incident that significantly strained relations between India and Canada.
Gupta’s guilty plea marks a significant development in the case, which U.S. officials have described as a serious violation of American sovereignty. Sentencing is expected in the coming months.
The case underscores growing international scrutiny over alleged efforts to target political dissidents beyond national borders, particularly within diaspora communities.
