US indictment order reveals details of Nikhil Gupta plot to kill Sikh leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
A US federal indictment order has revealed detailed allegations about how Indian national Nikhil Gupta allegedly helped coordinate an assassination plot targeting Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S.-based Sikh separatist leader and advocate for Khalistan.
The documents, released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, describe how prosecutors believe the assassination plan was organised, who was allegedly involved, and how law enforcement agencies prevented the plot before it could be carried out. Gupta has now pleaded guilty to charges linked to the case.
Who is Nikhil Gupta?
Nikhil Gupta, 54, is an Indian national who, according to U.S. investigators, described himself in communications as an international narcotics and weapons trafficker.
Authorities allege that he worked with others in India and elsewhere to coordinate the operation. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and later extradited to the United States in 2024.
He entered a guilty plea before a US federal court and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2026.
What the indictment order reveals
According to court filings, the plot began in 2023 when Gupta allegedly worked with others, including Vikash Yadav, who US prosecutors said was an Indian government employee at the time.
The indictment states that:
- A $100,000 murder-for-hire arrangement was discussed
- An advance payment of $15,000 was allegedly delivered
- Personal information and surveillance details about Gurpatwant Singh Pannun were shared
- Updates about the planned killing were regularly communicated
Prosecutors allege that Gupta acted as a middleman between planners and people he believed were criminal associates who could carry out the assassination in New York. However, those contacts were undercover law enforcement sources, allowing U.S. agencies to monitor and disrupt the plan.
The order also mentions that instructions were allegedly given regarding the timing of the attack, including delaying it during the Indian Prime Minister’s official visit to the United States in June 2023.
Nikhil Gupta pleads guilty
Gupta has pleaded guilty to three charges:
- Murder-for-hire
- Conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire
- Conspiracy to commit money laundering
U.S. officials said the case involved an attempted act of transnational repression aimed at a U.S. citizen exercising free speech rights.
Who is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun?
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a U.S.-based lawyer and political activist who leads a Sikh separatist organisation advocating for an independent Khalistan state. He has publicly supported the idea of Punjab’s separation from India, and his organisation is banned in India.
Because of his activism, Pannun remains a controversial figure in international political discussions.