In a stunning courtroom admission, Indian national Nikhil Gupta has confessed to plotting the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in New York. The 54-year-old appeared before a Manhattan federal court on February 14, pleading guilty to charges of murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder-for-hire, and money laundering conspiracy.
Gupta’s confession came during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York. Under oath, he detailed how in spring 2023, he agreed with another individual to arrange the killing of a target residing in Queens. Gupta admitted handing over $15,000 in cash to a person in Manhattan, fully aware of the victim’s location.
The plot targeted a Sikh political activist advocating for Khalistan, allegedly planned with accomplices including an employee from India’s Cabinet Secretariat. Federal prosecutors revealed they had amassed ironclad evidence: undercover operations, WhatsApp messages, call recordings, mobile data, and video of the cash handover.
Judge Netburn recommended that District Judge Victor Marrero accept the plea, which was duly approved. Sentencing is set for May 29, 2026. Facing up to 40 years—10 years each for the murder charges and 20 for money laundering—Gupta’s guilty plea may earn him leniency under U.S. sentencing guidelines.
Courts weigh crime severity, deterrence, public safety, and the defendant’s cooperation. Gupta acknowledged his Indian citizenship, likely leading to deportation post-sentence under U.S. immigration law. By pleading guilty, he sidestepped a high-stakes trial fraught with diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and India.
This case underscores the long arm of U.S. justice in thwarting foreign-orchestrated violence on American soil, sending a clear message to would-be plotters.