Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire and related charges in plot to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.
Gupta collaborated with co-defendant Vikash Yadav and paid USD 15,000 advance to an undercover DEA source.
Sentencing is scheduled for 29 May before US District Judge Victor Marrero.
Nikhil Gupta Pleads Guilty In US Plot To Assassinate Khalistani Leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun
Indian national admits role in murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting Sikh separatist on American soil
Summary
Indian national Nikhil Gupta on Friday pleaded guilty in a United States federal court to charges linked to a failed plot to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
According to PTI, the 54-year-old Gupta appeared before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn and entered guilty pleas to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Victor Marrero on 29 May.
The three counts carry maximum sentences of 10 years, 10 years, and 20 years in prison respectively, PTI reported.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement that Gupta had worked with others in India and abroad, including co-defendant Vikash Yadav, to arrange Pannun’s killing in New York City. Pannun holds dual American and Canadian citizenship.
According to PTI, Gupta, acting on Yadav’s instructions, contacted an individual he believed was a criminal associate but who was in reality a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Gupta sought help to hire a hitman for the murder.
Yadav later agreed, through dealings arranged by Gupta, to pay the undercover officer USD 100,000 for the job.
PTI reported that on or about 9 June 2023, Yadav and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver USD 15,000 in cash in New York as an advance payment to the undercover officer.
(With inputs from PTI)
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