An Indian citizen accused of involvement in a murder-for-hire plot targeting a US-Canadian citizen in New York City has been extradited to the United States to face trial. Nikhil Gupta, 52, pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court after being extradited from the Czech Republic. The charges against him include attempting to hire someone to kill Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco described the alleged plot as a brazen attempt to silence a political activist exercising his freedom of speech. Gupta is said to have conspired with an Indian government employee to target Pannun, who advocates for a sovereign state for Sikhs, considered a terrorist group by the Indian government.
The Justice Department revealed that the murder-for-hire scheme was disrupted in June of the previous year through a sting operation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Gupta, posing as a weapons trafficker, sought assistance from a criminal associate to find a hit man, who turned out to be a DEA informant.
In court documents, it was disclosed that Gupta offered $100,000 for the murder and provided surveillance photos of the intended victim. His defense attorney emphasized the complexity of the case and urged against premature judgments, promising a vigorous defense to ensure Gupta's due process rights are upheld.
Gupta faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The case has drawn international attention, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raising concerns about alleged links between the Indian government and the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, a claim dismissed by India as baseless.
