Nikhil Gupta confessed in a Manhattan court to arranging the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in New York for $15,000 in 2023. He pleaded guilty to charges including murder-for-hire and money laundering, potentially leading to a 40-year sentence. Gupta acknowledged delivering the cash to a person in Manhattan to carry out the murder.
The court proceedings revealed that Gupta knew the victim was in Queens, New York, and the recipient of the payment was in Manhattan. The sentencing, set for May 29, 2026, could see Gupta facing up to 40 years in a federal prison. Prosecutors calculated his potential prison term at around 19½ to 24½ years based on advisory Guidelines.
If the case had gone to trial, evidence would have included testimony from a confidential source and an undercover officer, along with WhatsApp messages and video footage of the payment. Gupta, an Indian citizen, collaborated with others to plan the assassination of a Sikh activist advocating for Khalistan in New York. His guilty plea is likely to result in his removal from the United States under federal immigration law.
Gupta’s plea avoided a potentially sensitive trial involving foreign-directed violence on U.S. soil. The sentencing scheduled for May 29 will determine the length of his imprisonment.
