INDIAN NATIONAL NIKHIL GUPTA PLEADS GUILTY IN NEW YORK MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT TARGETING U.S. CITIZEN

An Indian national has pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to participating in a murder-for-hire conspiracy that targeted a U.S. citizen in New York City in 2023. The case, prosecuted in the Southern District of New York, centers on an alleged transnational plot to assassinate a U.S.-based political activist affiliated with the Sikh separatist movement.

Nikhil Gupta, also known as “Nick,” pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. Sentencing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on May 29, 2026.

The charges stem from allegations that Gupta worked at the direction of an individual identified in court filings as Vikash Yadav, who was employed by India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses the Research and Analysis Wing, the country’s foreign intelligence service. Yadav has been charged in a Second Superseding Indictment but has not been arrested in connection with those charges.

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Alleged Assassination Plot

According to court filings and statements made during proceedings, Gupta was recruited in or about May 2023 to arrange the killing of a U.S. citizen residing in New York. The intended victim is described as an attorney and political activist who leads a U.S.-based organization advocating for the secession of Punjab from India and the establishment of a sovereign Sikh state known as Khalistan.

Prosecutors allege that Gupta contacted an individual he believed to be a criminal associate to locate a contract killer. That individual was in fact a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was an undercover officer.

Authorities state that negotiations led to an agreed payment of $100,000 for the murder, with approximately $15,000 delivered as an advance in June 2023. Prosecutors further allege that Gupta received personal identifying information about the victim, including residential address and daily routine details, and transmitted that information to the undercover operative.

Court records indicate that Gupta provided updates to the alleged co-conspirator and transmitted surveillance photographs of the intended victim. He also allegedly directed that the killing not occur during a scheduled state visit to the United States by the Indian Prime Minister in late June 2023.

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International Context

On June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada and associate of the intended victim, was fatally shot outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia. The Nijjar killing drew international diplomatic attention. Prosecutors allege that in communications following that event, Gupta indicated there was no longer a need to delay the planned killing in New York.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and later extradited to the United States in June 2024 following coordination between U.S. and Czech authorities. The extradition process involved the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions.

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Federal Charges and Penalties

The murder-for-hire charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. Conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire also carries a maximum of 10 years. Conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Final sentencing will be determined by the court after consideration of federal sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.

The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in coordination with the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force. International coordination included assistance from Czech authorities and U.S. national security components.

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Strategic Implications

Federal prosecutors have framed the case as a matter of transnational repression involving alleged coordination with a foreign government employee to target a U.S. citizen on American soil. Such cases implicate national security statutes and counterintelligence authorities when foreign-linked actors seek to silence individuals residing in the United States.

This case now proceeds to sentencing. Co-defendant Vikash Yadav remains charged but not in U.S. custody. Federal authorities have stated that individuals who attempt to orchestrate violent crimes within the United States, regardless of geographic origin, remain subject to federal prosecution.

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