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US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official.

'Pannun murder plot': Nikhil Gupta pleads not guilty in US court

US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official. 

US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official.

Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh extremist on American soil, on Monday pleaded not guilty in the case at a federal court here.
Gupta, 52, was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic on Friday.
He was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Pannun holds dual American and Canadian citizenship.
Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty, according to his attorney, Jeffrey Chabrowe.
The Czech Constitutional Court last month rejected a petition by Gupta against his extradition to the US to face the charges.
US federal prosecutors allege that Gupta had been working according to the directions of an unnamed Indian government official.
India has, however, denied its involvement in such a case and has instituted a high-level investigation into the allegations.
&ldquo;This is a complex matter for both our countries," Gupta's attorney Chabrowe told PTI ahead of his client&rsquo;s arraignment in a federal court here.
"It is extremely important that we refrain from rushing to conclusions so early in the process. Background and details will develop that may cast government allegations into an entirely new light," Chabrowe said.
"We will pursue his defence vigorously and ensure he receives full due process, regardless of outside pressures,&rdquo; he added.
Earlier, the Czech Justice Minister confirmed that Gupta has been extradited to the US.
"On the basis of my decision on (June 3), Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, who is suspected of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire with intent to cause death, was extradited to the US on Friday (June 14) for criminal prosecution," Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said in a post on X.
Federal prosecutors allege that Gupta hired a hitman to kill Pannun and paid USD 15,000 in advance.
Gupta, through his attorney, has denied the charges and said that he has been "unfairly charged".
The Washington Post in April 2024 reported that Vikram Yadav, a Research and Analysis Wing (R&amp;AW) officer, was the Indian official behind the plot. The paper also said the then R&amp;AW chief Samant Goel sanctioned the operation.
India's Ministry of External Affairs, however, dismissed the report, saying it makes &ldquo;unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations&rdquo; to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun.
India has publicly said a high-level inquiry is looking into the evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun.

The remarks by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel came after The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a RAW officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.

'Regularly working' with India in probe on alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist leader: US

The remarks by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel came after The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a RAW officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.

The United States is "regularly working" with India in its investigation into the allegations related to the plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US State Department official has said. &nbsp;
The remarks by US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel came after The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, named a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun on American soil last year.
India on Tuesday strongly rejected the claims, saying that the report made "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" imputations on a serious matter and that an investigation into the case was underway.
Addressing his daily news conference on Tuesday, Patel said, &ldquo;We continue to expect accountability from the Government of India based on the results of the Indian inquiry committee&rsquo;s work, and we are regularly working with them and enquiring for additional updates.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll also continue to raise our concerns directly with the Indian Government at senior levels, but beyond that, I&rsquo;m not going to parse into this further and will defer to the Department of Justice,&rdquo; Patel said when asked about The Washington Post report, which identified the RAW officer as Vikram Yadav and alleged that he was involved in the plot to assassinate Pannun.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday slammed the report by the US daily.
"The report in question makes unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations on a serious matter," he said in New Delhi. Jaiswal said a high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi to look into inputs provided by the US on the alleged plot was still probing the case.
"There is an ongoing investigation of the high-level committee set up by the Government of India to look into the security concerns shared by the US government on networks of organised criminals, terrorists and others," he said.
"Speculative and irresponsible comments on it are not helpful," Jaiswal added.
In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun.
Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. He has been designated as a terrorist by the Union home ministry under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The allegations about the failed plot to kill Pannun came to the fore weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in British Columbia.
India had strongly rejected the charges.
On December 7, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament that India instituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US in the Pannun case as the matter has a bearing on national security.

According to the newspaper, the sprawling investigation by the CIA, FBI and other agencies has mapped tentative links to the prime minister's inner circle.

RAW official involved in Pannun assassination plot: Washington Post

According to the newspaper, the sprawling investigation by the CIA, FBI and other agencies has mapped tentative links to the prime minister's inner circle.

A RAW official identified as Vikram Yadav was involved in the assassination plot of Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the US and the move was approved by the then Indian spy agency chief Samant Goel, according to an investigative media report published on Monday.
Pannun is one of the main leaders of the Khalistan movement and the legal advisor and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which aims to promote the idea of a separate Sikh state. The Indian government has declared Pannun a terrorist.
In an investigative report, The Washington Post newspaper said, &ldquo;That India would pursue lethal operations in North America has stunned Western security officials.&rdquo; &ldquo;Yadav&rsquo;s identity and affiliation, which have not previously been reported, provide the most explicit evidence to date that the assassination plan &mdash; ultimately thwarted by US authorities &mdash; was directed from within the Indian spy service,&rdquo; the daily reported.
&ldquo;Higher-ranking (Research and Analysis Wing) RAW officials have also been implicated, according to current and former Western security officials, as part of a sprawling investigation by the CIA, FBI and other agencies that has mapped potential links to (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) Modi&rsquo;s inner circle,&rdquo; it said.
The top American daily -- which is now owned by American billionaire Jeff Bezos, founder and head of Amazon -- said it is investigating a global surge in such campaigns of cross-border repression, as well as the global forces leading India and other nations to employ tactics normally associated with the world&rsquo;s most repressive governments.
For this story, Post reporters conducted dozens of interviews with officials, experts and targeted individuals in New Delhi, Washington, Ottawa, London, Prague and Berlin, it said.
&ldquo;In reports that have been closely held within the American government, US intelligence agencies have assessed that the operation targeting Pannun was approved by the RAW chief at the time, Samant Goel,&rdquo; the daily claimed.
&ldquo;That finding is consistent with accounts provided to The Washington Post by former senior Indian security officials who had knowledge of the operation and said Goel was under extreme pressure to eliminate the alleged threat of Sikh extremists overseas.
"US spy agencies have more tentatively assessed that Modi&rsquo;s national security adviser, Ajit Doval, was probably aware of RAW&rsquo;s plans to kill Sikh activists, but officials emphasised that no smoking gun proof has emerged,&rdquo; it said.
Quoting officials, The Washington Post said, the foiled assassination was part of an escalating campaign of aggression by RAW against the Indian diaspora in Asia, Europe and North America.
The alleged plot to kill Pannun in the US coincided with the June 18 fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in Canada's British Columbia province in June last year. That operation was also linked to Yadav, according to Western officials.
Both plots took place amid a wave of violence in Pakistan, where at least 11 Sikh or Kashmiri separatists living in exile and labelled terrorists by the Modi government have been killed over the past two years, the report said.
Senior Indian government officials named in the Washington Post report did not respond to it seeking comment, the daily said.
However, when asked about the investigation into the allegations made by the US in the Pannun case, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said last week, "We have set up a high-level committee. The committee is looking into information that was shared by the American side with us, because they also equally impact our national security." The high-level committee is looking into those aspects and that is where it is right now, Jaiswal said in New Delhi on April 25.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on April 1 had said that India's national security interests are involved in its investigation into the alleged involvement of a government official in the assassination plot aimed at Khalistani extremist Pannun.
The Washington Post reported that the Biden administration has refrained from making charges against Yadav.
&ldquo;Charging decisions are the prerogative of law enforcement alone,&rdquo; National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told The Washington Post, &ldquo;and the Biden NSC has rigorously respected that independence.&rdquo; &ldquo;The only US charges made public to date are against an alleged middleman, Nikhil Gupta, who is described in the indictment as an Indian drug and weapons trafficker enlisted to hire a contract killer. Gupta, an Indian national who has denied the charges, was arrested in Prague on June 30 and remains in prison. He is awaiting a Czech court ruling on a US request for his extradition,&rdquo; the Post reported.
Also watch: <a href="https://www.editorji.com/world-news/india-summons-canadian-diplomat-over-pro-khalistan-slogans-at-trudeau-event-1714405661641">India summons Canadian diplomat over pro-Khalistan slogans at Trudeau event</a>

Responding to the Pannun assassination plot, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said that both India and US are working together in the investigation. 

Pannun protected by US free speech law, for better or worse: US envoy Eric Garcetti  

Responding to the Pannun assassination plot, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said that both India and US are working together in the investigation.&nbsp;

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti weighed into the alleged assassination attempt on Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, saying that both India and US are working together in the investigation. He, however, asserted that a "red line" should not be crossed between the two countries.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Garcetti said, "When people do step over the line saying something will be bombed as opposed to saying somebody shouldn't fly. The United States freedom of speech, we want success for anybody if there's a criminal accusation to actually reach the threshold that would have a successful outcome."
"Under our law, for an American citizen to be convicted in an American court or to be deported to have a criminal case in another country, it has to meet our law, and so we'll continue working. And if anybody ever says something that steps over that line, and I know it's gotten very close, we will be working together on that," he added.&nbsp;
Responding to repeated threats issued by Pannun against India, the US envoy said that America protects free speech for better or worse and that a citizen of the US can only be convicted according to the country's law.
Born on the outskirts of Amritsar, Pannun holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada.
Last year, Pannun threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate on November 19. Following this, he also threatened an attack on the Indian Parliament on the anniversary of the Parliament attack on December 13.
Further referring to the ongoing investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun, Garcetti said that the fact that New Delhi and Washington are working together to hold those behind criminal action, shows how strong and close the India-US relationship currently is.
Also read | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/india-news/undeclared-emergency-scared-of-kejriwal-this-is-what-india-bloc-members-said-during-rally-1711886509234">'Undeclared emergency, scared of Kejriwal': This is what INDIA bloc members said during rally</a>

The house of Inderjit Singh Gosal, an associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was the target of gunfire.

Khalistan separatist Inderjit Singh Gosal’s Canada house hit by gunfire

The house of Inderjit Singh Gosal, an associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was the target of gunfire.

Days after announcing a pro-Khalistani rally outside the Indian consulate in Canada&rsquo;s Toronto, Sikh separatist Inderjit Singh Gosal&rsquo;s house was hit by gunfire. While no one was injured, authorities found at least one bullet hole in his house in Brampton on February 12.
The incident marked the second time a Sikh separatist was targeted this month. Gosal was an associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist by the Indian government.
Officers from the Peel Regional Police said it was &ldquo;too early&rdquo; to connect the bullet hole to Gosal&rsquo;s involvement in the Khalistani movement. However, law enforcement officers have not ruled out the possibility of more bullet holes.
Pannun, who is the legal counsel for pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice, was allegedly the target of a foiled assasination attempt last year.
The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegation in September of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia on June 18.
(With PTI inputs)
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The US government has objected to a motion filed by Indian national Nikhil Gupta seeking proof of charges against him. The 52-year-old is held in a Czech prison for conspiring to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannum on American soil

Pannun murder plot: US refuses to provide proof requested by accused Indian

Pannun murder plot: US objects to motion filed by accused Nikhil Gupta

The US government has objected to a motion filed by Indian national Nikhil Gupta seeking proof of charges against him. The 52-year-old is held in a Czech prison for conspiring to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannum on American soil

The US government has objected to providing defence materials to Indian national Nikhil Gupta, detained in a Czech prison on murder-for-hire charges in a foiled assassination attempt on a Khalistani extremist, saying it will provide the information only upon his appearance in a New York court and arraignment in the case.
Gupta, 52, was charged by federal prosecutors here in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil.
Gupta was arrested in Prague, the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023 and is being held there currently. The US government is seeking his extradition to America.
Gupta&rsquo;s attorney filed a &lsquo;Motion to Compel Production of Discovery&rsquo; on January 4 in the US District Court, Southern District of New York requesting the Court to direct federal prosecutors to provide &ldquo;the defence materials relevant to its ability to defend the instant charges.&rdquo; US District Judge Victor Marrero had on January 8 given the government three days&rsquo; time to respond to the motion filed by Gupta&rsquo;s attorney. The government, in its reply filed with the district court Wednesday, said Gupta&rsquo;s motion asking for discovery material should be denied.
&ldquo;The government respectfully submits this letter in opposition to defendant Nikhil Gupta&rsquo;s motion to compel discovery during the pendency of his extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic,&rdquo; federal prosecutors said.
They said that consistent with federal rules of criminal procedure, &ldquo;the government is prepared to produce discovery promptly upon the defendant&rsquo;s appearance in this District and arraignment on this case. Before then, however, the defendant is not entitled to discovery, and he identifies no good reason for the Court to order it.&rdquo; In the government&rsquo;s response, US Attorney Damian Williams said that Gupta has identified no legal entitlement or justification for discovery at this time.
&ldquo;The government stands ready to provide discovery to him, like any other criminal defendant, promptly upon his appearance and arraignment in this District. His motion to compel discovery should be denied,&rdquo; Williams said.
Gupta&rsquo;s counsel in New York Jeff Chabrowe has said in his motion that the attorney representing Gupta in Prague in his extradition proceedings states that &ldquo;no evidence or documentation of any sort has been given to him other than the US indictment itself.&rdquo; He said Gupta has been interviewed in Prague &ldquo;by groups of senior US agents on several occasions and continues to be interviewed.&rdquo; &ldquo;An order compelling discovery is particularly appropriate here&rdquo; as Gupta &ldquo;is being subject to repeated interrogations by US officials without the presence of the counsel representing him in his criminal case," the motion by Chabrowe said.
"The defence counsel present in Prague has no evidence or other case materials, other than the bare indictment. Most critically, the defendant continues (to be) interrogated by US officials, after the indictment, where his uninformed counsel has no ability to secure his rights. Accordingly, this Court should order the government to comply with the defence discovery request here,&rdquo; the motion said.
Gupta's motion said a municipal court in Prague has initially recommended extradition, "but several layers of judicial review remain before any final extradition order issues." It added that in the interim, Chabrowe asked the US Attorney's office to begin providing discovery but the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York "refuses to do so." The government, in its motion, rejected Gupta&rsquo;s assertion that he has been subjected to repeated interrogations by US officials without the presence of the counsel representing him in his criminal case.
&ldquo;In fact, he has met only twice with US law enforcement authorities, the second time in the presence of counsel, and on both occasions, he was advised of his rights. In the first meeting, immediately after his arrest, the defendant waived his rights verbally and spoke with law enforcement agents.&rdquo; The government said that the second meeting occurred in the presence of Gupta&rsquo;s counsel in the Czech Republic, and when he declined to be interviewed, the meeting concluded.
India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate the allegations.

SC rejected plea of an Indian man who has been charged by US for allegedly plotting to kill Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

SC rejects consular access plea of Indian charged by US for Pannun murder plot

SC rejected plea of an Indian man who has been charged by US for allegedly plotting to kill Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a plea for consular access moved by a family member of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who is in a Czech prison following charges by the US relating to a foiled assassination attempt on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said, &ldquo;There is nothing much we can do. You are entitled for consular access under the Vienna convention, which you have already got.&rdquo;
The bench told senior advocate CA Sundaram, appearing for kin of Gupta that this court should respect the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the foreign court and law of that land and, therefore, it cannot go into the merit of the matter.
&ldquo;We will not allow you to speak anything about the foreign court,&rdquo; the bench told Sundaram, when he tried to submit that Gupta has been placed under solitary confinement and was not granted any consular access post his indictment.
Sundaram said it is purely a human rights issue and he has sought assistance from the Indian embassy and Ministry of External Affairs, which he has not got.
&ldquo;I am an Indian national&hellip;I have not received any assistance to enable me to defend myself in a foreign country. Consular access does not mean that a person once comes and meets you and then it is done and dusted,&rdquo; Sundaram said.
The bench said looking at the prayer of Gupta in the writ petition, it cannot do much. When Sundaram sought direction to the Union of India for looking into his representation, the bench said it is for the government of India to consider it and it cannot pass any such orders.
The bench noted that on September 17, 2023, Gupta has received consular access in the matter and he has also moved the Delhi High Court, where certain orders have been passed.
On December 15, last year, the top court had deferred the hearing on a habeas corpus plea moved by a family member of Gupta.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30. He has alleged grave human rights violations in solitary confinement, including being forced to consume beef and pork. He has also alleged that he was denied consular access, the right to contact his family in India and the freedom to seek legal representation.
On November 29, last year, Gupta was charged by federal prosecutors in the United States in connection with his alleged participation in a foiled plot to assassinate Pannun on American soil.
The 52-year-old was charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of a 10-year jail term.
US authorities had said Gupta allegedly agreed to pay an assassin USD 100,000 to kill the Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.
The prosecutors had said Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the US and the Czech Republic.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic at the request of the US in connection with his alleged participation in the plot to kill Pannun.

India was granted consular access at least on three occasions to Nikhil Gupta, the Indian accused of plotting to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

Pannun 'murder' plot: India granted consular access to accused Nikhil Gupta

India was granted consular access at least on three occasions to Nikhil Gupta, the Indian accused of plotting to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

India received consular access on three occasions to Nikhil Gupta, who has been in a jail in the Czech capital of Prague following the US accusing him of involvement in a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said India is extending necessary consular assistance to Gupta.
"An Indian national is currently in the custody of the Czech authorities pending a request for extradition to the US. We have received consular access at least on three occasions," Bagchi said at his weekly media briefing in response to a question on the case involving Gupta.
"We are extending necessary consular assistance as per requirement," he said.
Gupta, 52, has been accused by the US government of involvement in conspiring to kill US-based Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
His family approached the Supreme Court last week pleading for issuing direction to the Indian government to intervene in the extradition proceedings and ensuring a fair trial in the case.
"The family of this person has gone to our Supreme Court and this is a process that is going on in the Supreme Court. I do not think it will be appropriate for us to comment on issues like jurisdiction. We will wait for what the Supreme Court has to say," Bagchi said.
The US federal prosecutors have charged Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.
India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate allegations. The external affairs ministry spokesperson also said that India has taken the allegations seriously, adding "inputs" have been provided by the US side and a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to look into all relevant aspects of the matter.
Bagchi said this when asked about five serving Indian-American members of the US Congress cautioning that the case can cause significant damage to the India-US ties of New Delhi does not hold those behind the conspiracy to kill Pannun.
"As we have shared earlier, we take it seriously. The inputs have been provided by the US side and a high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to look into all relevant aspects of the matter," Bagchi said.
"This fact has also been noted by these members of the Congress. I do not have any further update to it," he added.
FBI Director Christopher Wray visited India last week against the backdrop of the charges by Washington in the case.
US Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer too visited India earlier this month during which he held talks with External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy NSA Vikran Misri.
Following the visit, the White House said Finer conveyed to New Delhi the importance of holding accountable anyone found responsible in the probe that India announced to investigate the alleged Indian link to the "lethal plotting".

The United States has charged an Indian man for allegedly plotting to kill Khalistani leaders in New York

'Will look into it': Modi reacts to US claims of Indian man's involvement in Pannun 'murder plot'

Will look into it: Modi's on Pannun assassination plot
Modi: committed to rule of law
US charged Indian man for Pannun assassination plot

The United States has charged an Indian man for allegedly plotting to kill Khalistani leaders in New York

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is ready to look into claims by United States that an Indian man and an Indian govt official are involved in a conspiracy to kill Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.&nbsp;
Modi told The Financial Times, 'if someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it&hellip; If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law.'
&nbsp;

An Indian man has been charged in the US over alleged plot to kill a Sikh leader

Pannun 'assassination' plot: US sent 2 top officials to India to press for probe

An Indian man has been charged in the US over alleged plot to kill a Sikh leader

The US sent its two top intelligence officials to India to press for an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on American soil earlier.
The federal prosecutors have now filed a case against an Indian national, named Nikhil Gupta, in a New York court charging him with 'murder-for-hire'. The US document does not mention the target but according to reports it is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a separatist Khalistani leader who is both a US and Canadian citizen.
This comes on a day when India said that it has constituted a high-level enquiry committee to probe allegations relating to a conspiracy to kill the Sikh extremist on American soil.
The indictment has not named the US citizen but The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, last week reported that US authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate banned Sikhs for Justice&rsquo;s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, and issued a warning to the Indian government over concerns it was involved in the plot.

US prosecutors said Nikhil Gupta agreed to the foiled assassination plot after being assured that a criminal case against him in Gujarat would be dismissed.

Indian man agreed to murder plot to get relief in Gujarat case: US prosecutors

US prosecutors said Nikhil Gupta agreed to the foiled assassination plot after being assured that a criminal case against him in Gujarat would be dismissed.

An Indian national, charged in connection with a plan to assassinate a Sikh separatist on American soil, agreed to the plot after being assured that a criminal case against him in Gujarat would be dismissed, federal prosecutors here have alleged.
Nikhil Gupta, 52, has been charged with murder-for-hire in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen in New York City, according to a superseding indictment unsealed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
While the indictment does not name the US citizen who was the target of the assassination plot, The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, last week reported that US authorities thwarted a plot to assassinate banned Sikhs for Justice&rsquo;s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, and issued a warning to the Indian government over concerns it was involved in the plot.
In the indictment, prosecutors outline how Gupta agreed to the plot after being assured that a criminal case against him in Gujarat would be dismissed.
"Beginning in or about early May 2023, in a series of telephonic and electronic communications between CC-1 and Gupta over encrypted applications, CC-1 asked Gupta to arrange the murder of the Victim in exchange for CC-1's assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against Gupta in India. Gupta agreed to orchestrate the assassination. In addition to their electronic communications, Gupta also met CC-1 in person in New Delhi in furtherance of the plot,&rdquo; the indictment said.
Prosecutors have said that CC-1 is an &ldquo;Indian government employee&rdquo; who directed the plot from India to assassinate on US soil &ldquo;an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian-origin residing in New York City," described as &ldquo;the victim&rdquo; in the indictment.
&ldquo;On or about May 6, 2023, at the outset of their conversation over a particular encrypted messaging application, CC-1 wrote Gupta: "This is (CC-1)... Save my name as (CC- 1 Alias)." Gupta saved the telephone number on Gupta&rsquo;s phone under an alias for CC-1. A few minutes later, CC-1 messaged Gupta that CC-1 had a "target in New York" and another target in &ldquo;California&rdquo;, the indictment said.
The indictment added that around "May 12, 2023, CC-1 notified Gupta that his criminal case "has already been taken care of," and that "nobody from Gujrat police is calling." On or about May 23, 2023, CC-1 again assured Gupta that CC-1 had "spoke[n] with the boss about your Gujarat (case)," that it was "all clear," and "nobody will ever bother you again." CC-1 further offered to arrange a meeting between Gupta and a "DCP," which is an acronym used in India for Deputy Commissioner of Police.&rdquo; &ldquo;Following CC-1 's assurances, GUPTA pressed forward to arrange the murder,&rdquo; the indictment said.
The murder-for-hire charge against Gupta carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The indictment said that at CC-1&rsquo;s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom he believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the Victim in New York City.
The confidential source introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer.
CC-1 subsequently agreed in dealings brokered by Gupta to pay the undercover officer USD 100,000 to murder the Victim. Around June 9, 2023, CC-1 and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver USD 15,000 in cash to the undercover officer as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1&rsquo;s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the undercover officer in Manhattan.
Gupta, described as an &ldquo;international narcotics trafficker&rdquo; was arrested in the Czech Republic at the request of the United States in June 2023 in connection with his participation in the plot.

gurpatwant singh pannun

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