Nikhil Gupta, a 53-year-old Indian national also known as Nick, has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to his alleged involvement in a murder-for-hire plot targeting Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the seriousness of the charges, stating that attempts to harm American citizens will not be tolerated.
Gupta was apprehended in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and extradited to the US on June 14, 2024. He appeared in a New York federal court where he pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe.
“This extradition underscores the Justice Department’s resolve to prevent any efforts to suppress or injure American citizens,” Garland remarked on Monday.
Gupta faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison upon conviction.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco condemned the alleged plot as a brazen attempt to silence a US political activist exercising his freedom of speech, orchestrated by an Indian government employee collaborating with Gupta.
FBI Director Christopher Wray pledged to protect constitutionally-protected freedoms in the US and collaborate with domestic and international partners to safeguard its citizens.
According to court documents, Gupta, based in India, is linked to an Indian government employee (referred to as CC-1) who allegedly directed the assassination plot against Pannun, a vocal critic of the Indian government advocating for Punjab’s secession.
Prosecutors claim Gupta facilitated communications and arrangements between CC-1 and an undercover DEA officer posing as a hitman, culminating in a cash advance of $15,000 delivered for the murder. Gupta allegedly provided surveillance information about the victim to facilitate the plot.
The Indian government has announced an inquiry into the evidence provided by the US regarding the alleged assassination plot.