NEW YORK: After recently revealing a meticulously planned conspiracy aimed at assassinating an American Sikh leader residing in New York City, US government has identified the accused as Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national.
He has been charged with murder-for-hire in connection with this sinister plot.
More shockingly, Gupta was allegedly acting under the orders of an Indian government employee, referred to as CC-1, suggesting that the assassination plan was orchestrated from within India itself.
While the identity of the intended victim has not been disclosed in court documents, it is known that the target is a US citizen of Indian origin who has been a vocal critic of the Indian government, advocating for a separate Sikh state.
The Indian government has, in response, banned both the individual and their separatist organization from India.
The news of this thwarted assassination attempt has sent shockwaves not only through the Sikh community but also across diplomatic circles, with the White House raising the matter with the Indian government at the highest levels.
The Indian government has expressed “surprise and concern” in response to these serious allegations.
Nikhil Gupta now faces grave charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The case is being jointly investigated by the DEA’s New York Division and the FBI’s Counter-Intelligence Division, with support from various agencies, including international cooperation with the Czech Republic.
The revelation of this disturbing conspiracy has brought to the forefront the complex dynamics surrounding Sikh separatism, the Indian government’s stance on it, and the lengths to which some individuals are willing to go in pursuit of their objectives.
Sikhs, constituting a religious minority comprising approximately 2% of India’s population, have been at the center of a long-standing debate regarding a section of them demanding for a separate homeland, commonly referred to as Khalistan.
The Indian government has consistently reacted strongly to demands for Khalistan by Sikh separatist groups in Western countries.
According to documents furnished by US Department of Justice, the indictment against Nikhil Gupta residing in India, had established ties with CC-1, an Indian government employee with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence.” CC-1, who had previously served in India’s Central Reserve Police Force, was alleged to have directed the assassination plot from India.
In May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the victim, the US citizen advocating for Sikh separatism. The victim, who is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads an organization in the United States advocating for the secession of Punjab and the establishment of Khalistan, had been a prime target for those opposed to his views.
Under CC-1’s direction, Gupta reached out to an individual he believed to be a criminal associate but was, in fact, a confidential source working with US law enforcement.
This confidential source introduced Gupta to an undercover U.S. law enforcement officer, whom Gupta believed to be a hitman. CC-1 subsequently agreed to pay the undercover officer $100,000 for the murder of the Victim. An advance payment of $15,000 was made to the undercover officer in Manhattan as part of this agreement.
As the plot unfolded, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim’s New York City address, phone numbers, and details about the victim’s daily routine.
Gupta then passed this information to the undercover officer, who was tasked with carrying out the assassination. Gupta was instructed to provide regular updates on the progress of the plot, including surveillance photographs of the Victim.
Tragically, on June 18, a prominent Sikh leader and associate of the Victim, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was gunned down outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada.
Nijjar, like the Victim, was a fervent advocate for Sikh separatism and a vocal critic of the Indian government. Gupta’s chilling response to Nijjar’s murder sent shockwaves through the investigation, as he informed the undercover officer that Nijjar “was also the target” and indicated that there were “so many targets.” He suggested that there was “now no need to wait” in carrying out the assassination of the Victim.
These revelations have sent shockwaves through the Sikh diaspora and have led to heightened concerns about the safety of Sikh activists and leaders who advocate for the establishment of Khalistan. The indictment of Nikhil Gupta and the subsequent investigation underscore the gravity of the threat faced by those who champion the cause of Sikh separatism and their role in the ongoing tensions between Sikh activists and the Indian government.
The charges against Gupta of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire carry severe penalties, with each count potentially leading to a maximum of 10 years in prison.
A federal district court judge will ultimately determine Gupta’s sentence after considering various factors.
The investigation into this international conspiracy has been a joint effort by law enforcement agencies, including the DEA’s New York Division, the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division, and other agencies such as the DEA’s Special Operations Division, DEA’s Vienna Country Office, FBI’s Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.
As this complex case unfolds, it raises important questions about the extent of international involvement in such conspiracies and underscores the need for continued vigilance in safeguarding the lives of individuals who advocate for their beliefs, even in the face of significant adversity.
The world will be watching closely as the legal proceedings against Nikhil Gupta progress, hoping for justice to prevail and a safer environment for those who dare to speak out for their cause.
Today in the Southern District of New York, a superseding indictment was unsealed alleging murder-for-hire charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta, aka Nick, 52, in connection with his participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City. Czech authorities arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, 2023 pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.
According to court documents, earlier this year, an Indian government employee (CC-1), working together with others, including Gupta, in India and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on U.S. soil an attorney and political activist who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin residing in New York City (the Victim).
Gupta is an Indian national who resides in India, is an associate of CC-1 and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence,” and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer[] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India.
In or about May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the Victim in the United States. The Victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The Victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the Victim and his separatist organization from India.
At CC-1’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with U.S. law enforcement (the CS), for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the Victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was in fact an undercover U.S. law enforcement officer (the UC). CC-1 subsequently agreed in dealings brokered by Gupta to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the Victim. On or about June 9, CC-1 and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan.
In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the Victim, including the Victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the Victim, and details about the Victim’s day-to-day conduct, which Gupta then passed to the UC. CC-1 directed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta accomplished by forwarding to CC-1, among other things, surveillance photographs of the Victim. Gupta directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but Gupta also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements scheduled to occur in the ensuing weeks between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials.
On or about June 18, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the Victim, and like the Victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, CC-1 sent Gupta a news article about the Victim and messaged Gupta, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.”
Gupta is charged with murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Each count carries a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA’s New York Division and the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the DEA’s Special Operations Division, DEA’s Vienna Country Office, FBI’s Prague Country Office, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Robert McCullers of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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