Indian national admits role in plot to assassinate US Sikh leader

In February 2026, Indian national Nikhil Gupta admitted in a US court to participating in a 2023 plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US and Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader living in New York. Gupta confessed to transferring $15,000 to a supposed hitman, who was actually a confidential source working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Pannun was targeted for his advocacy for the secession of Punjab, an Indian state with a large Sikh population. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the US. He pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire charges and faces a potential prison sentence of 20 to 24 years, with sentencing scheduled for May 29.

Nikhil Gupta, an Indian man, pleaded guilty in a US federal court to murder-for-hire and related charges for plotting to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based Sikh separatist leader, in New York City. Prosecutors allege Gupta was directed by an Indian government official to carry out the assassination of Pannun, who advocates for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan. Gupta faces up to 40 years in prison. India denies involvement in the plot, while Pannun asserts the guilty plea confirms the Indian government orchestrated the assassination attempt on US soil. The indictment alleges Gupta was recruited by Vikash Yadav, an officer working for India's foreign intelligence service.