By Admin 
Nikhil Gupta: There has been a big twist in the case of conspiracy to murder America-based pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta confessed to his crime in a New York court on Friday. The US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York has confirmed this.
what is the whole matter
Nikhil Gupta, 54, appeared in the Federal Court in Manhattan and admitted that he had paid 15 thousand dollars to a person whom he considered to be a contract killer for Pannun’s murder. This incident has been said to be between the year 2023. Earlier Gupta had declared himself innocent, but now he has accepted the allegations. Pannun lives in New York and leads the banned organization Sikhs for Justice.
Statement from American officials
US Attorney Jay Clayton said, “Nikhil Gupta conspired to murder an American citizen in New York. He thought he could sit outside and kill someone here and nothing would happen to him, but he was wrong. Now he will be punished.”
Gupta has pleaded guilty to three charges: conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to embezzle money. In all these cases combined, he can face a maximum jail term of up to 40 years. Victor Marrero will announce his sentence on May 29. Gupta was extradited from the Czech Republic to America in June 2024. Since then he is being held in jail without bail in Brooklyn.
How was the conspiracy hatched?
According to the US charge sheet, in May 2023, a person referred to as “CC-1” contacted Gupta and groomed him for this work. Later the US government identified CC-1 as Vikash Yadav. It was told that he was earlier in the Central Reserve Police Force and at that time he was looking after the work related to the Research and Analysis Wing. In October 2024, the US Justice Department filed formal charges against Yadav. He is currently in India and is said to be absconding, although Delhi Police has booked him in a separate extortion case.
Government of India’s stand
After the allegations were made in October 2024, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said that the US State Department has informed that the person whose name is in the charge sheet no longer works in the Government of India.
story of money and betel nut
According to prosecutors, Yadav chose Gupta to kill a man who was an open critic of the Indian government and ran a US-based organization that called for Punjab to become a separate country. Later in media reports, the target was identified as Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of America and Canada.
Investigating agencies say that Gupta contacted a person whom he considered his criminal partner. He was actually a secret source of American agencies. He introduced Gupta to an undercover officer who was revealed to be a betel nut killer. On Yadav’s insistence, Gupta finalized the deal for $1 lakh and gave an advance of $15,000 in June 2023.
Also linked to Nijjar murder
American agencies have also linked this conspiracy to the murder of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was shot outside a gurudwara in British Columbia. According to the charge sheet, a few hours after the murder, Yadav had sent a video of Nijjar’s dead body to Gupta. According to the US Justice Department, on June 19, 2023, the day after Nijjar’s murder, Gupta had said that Nijjar was also a target and there was no need to wait any longer. On June 20, 2023, Yadav sent a news related to Pannun and wrote that now this is a priority.
On these allegations, the Indian government had said that it took the input received from America seriously and formed a high-level inquiry committee in November 2023. India’s Home Ministry said in January 2025 that after investigation, a report has been submitted and legal action has been recommended against a person, information about whose past criminal relationships has also come to light in the investigation.