Indian national Nikhil Gupta has admitted guilt in a US federal court for his involvement in a scheme to kill a Sikh separatist leader in New York City. Gupta, also known as “Nick,” confessed to charges including murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. Scheduled for sentencing on May 29, 2026, Gupta’s actions have sparked diplomatic attention between India and the US.
According to the US Department of Justice, Gupta was directed by an Indian government employee to organize the assassination of a New York-based advocate for Khalistan, a proposed Sikh state. The indictment reveals that Gupta’s co-defendant, Vikash Yadav, was linked to India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which oversees the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s external intelligence agency.
US Attorney Jay Clayton condemned Gupta’s plot, emphasizing that he will face justice for his attempt to silence an individual exercising their right to free speech. The intended victim, a US citizen advocating for Punjab’s secession and Khalistan’s establishment, was targeted by Gupta under instructions from Yadav, who facilitated the arrangement with a DEA undercover officer.
Gupta, aged 54, was apprehended in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the US. The charges against him carry significant penalties, with sentencing set for May 29, 2026, to avoid a high-profile trial involving foreign-directed assassination attempts on US soil.
