An Indian man accused of masterminding a failed plot backed by the Indian government to kill a Sikh separatist in New York pleaded guilty Friday to three felony charges, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan said.
Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison, a spokeswoman said.
Gupta filed his lawsuit before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in federal court in Manhattan.
Lawyers for Gupta were not immediately available for comment. Gupta has been incarcerated in Brooklyn since his June 2024 extradition to the United States from the Czech Republic, where he was arrested a year earlier. He pleaded not guilty immediately after his release.
US prosecutors accused Gupta of conspiring with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US resident and dual US-Canadian citizen who advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India.
The Indian government has distanced itself from any conspiracy against Pannun, saying it is against government policy.
The revelation of alleged assassinations against Sikh separatists in the United States and Canada has tested relations with India, which has also denied any involvement in such plans.