Indian Government Employee Arrested for Murder-for-Hire Plot Targeting U.S.-Based Sikh Separatist Leader

In a shocking revelation today, the Southern District of New York unsealed a superseding indictment, accusing Indian national Nikhil Gupta, 52, of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate a U.S.-based leader of the Sikh separatist movement. Gupta, also known as Nick, was arrested by Czech authorities on June 30, 2023, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.

The indictment alleges that earlier this year, a high-ranking Indian government employee (CC-1) collaborated with Gupta and others to direct the plot to assassinate an attorney and political activist of Indian origin residing in New York City (the Victim). The Victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India.

Gupta, an associate of CC-1, revealed his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking during communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1, described as a "Senior Field Officer" with ties to Indian intelligence, directed the assassination plot from India.

According to court documents, CC-1 recruited Gupta in May 2023 to coordinate the assassination. The Victim, leader of a U.S.-based organization advocating for Punjab's secession, had been banned from India. Gupta contacted a confidential source, thinking it was a criminal associate, but it was a undercover U.S. law enforcement officer (the UC). CC-1 agreed to pay the UC $100,000 for the murder, with an initial $15,000 delivered to the UC by CC-1's associate in Manhattan.

In June 2023, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the Victim and directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible. However, Gupta instructed the UC not to commit the murder around anticipated engagements between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials.

Tragically, on June 18, gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an associate of the Victim, in British Columbia, Canada. Gupta informed the UC the next day that Nijjar "was also the target" and that there were "so many targets." Following Nijjar's murder, CC-1 messaged Gupta, "[i]t's [a] priority now."

Gupta faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison. The investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s New York Division and the FBI’s New York Field Office Counterintelligence Division, with assistance from various international agencies.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li are prosecuting the case with support from the DEA’s Special Operations Division, FBI’s Prague Country Office, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

An indictment is an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.