Indian National Nikhil Gupta Pleads Guilty in Foiled U.S. Assassination Plot Directed by Government Official

Indian National Nikhil Gupta Pleads Guilty in Foiled U.S. Assassination Plot Directed by Government Official

The case has sparked a significant diplomatic crisis, with U.S. and Canadian officials accusing India of engaging in “transnational repression”—the use of violence or intimidation against citizens living outside a country’s borders.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | February 14, 2026

NEW YORK — In a dramatic courtroom reversal on February 13, 2026, 54-year-old Indian national Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty to federal charges involving a foiled plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistan separatist and U.S. citizen living in New York City.

Gupta, appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, admitted to three counts: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The plea marks a striking turnaround for Gupta, who had maintained his innocence since being extradited from the Czech Republic in June 2024. While the charges carry a maximum potential sentence of 40 years, the U.S. government has recommended a term of 21 to 24 years.

The Alleged Plot and Government Involvement

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the assassination attempt was directed and coordinated by Vikash Yadav, a former employee of India’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Prosecutors allege that in May 2023, Yadav recruited Gupta to arrange the murder of Pannun, an attorney and vocal critic of the Indian government who advocates for a sovereign Sikh state called Khalistan.

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Gupta allegedly contacted an individual he believed was a criminal associate but who was actually a confidential source for the DEA. This source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman—an undercover U.S. agent—to whom Gupta and Yadav agreed to pay $100,000 for the assassination. A $15,000 cash advance was reportedly delivered to the undercover officer in Manhattan on June 9, 2023.

Links to the Nijjar Assassination in Canada

The conspiracy against Pannun reportedly intensified following the June 18, 2023, murder of another Sikh activist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in British Columbia, Canada. The sources indicate that Gupta informed the undercover officer that Nijjar was also a target and that, following Nijjar’s death, there was “now no need to wait” to kill Pannun.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly alleged that the Indian government was involved in Nijjar’s murder, accusing the Modi administration of trying to “deny, obfuscate, and obstruct” the criminal investigation. The Indian government has dismissed these claims, describing the Pannun plot as a “rogue” operation without state-sponsored intent.

International Fallout and “Transnational Repression”

The case has sparked a significant diplomatic crisis, with U.S. and Canadian officials accusing India of engaging in “transnational repression”—the use of violence or intimidation against citizens living outside a country’s borders. In response, U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff introduced the Transnational Repression Reporting Act of 2024 to address these concerns.

Furthermore, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the State Department designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), citing a “severe escalation” in efforts to silence religious minorities abroad. A U.S. court had also issued summons to high-ranking Indian officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and former RAW chief Samant Goel, in connection with a civil lawsuit related to the plot.

Current Status

While Nikhil Gupta awaits a formal sentencing hearing scheduled for May 29, 2026, his alleged co-conspirator, Vikash Yadav, remains in India. Although a federal arrest warrant was issued for Yadav in late 2024, the Indian government has not indicated a willingness to extradite him.

The target of the plot, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, continues his activism from New York, though he remains a provocative figure facing terror-related charges from India’s National Investigation Agency.