Nikhil Gupta, accused by US federal prosecutors of conspiring with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, appears in federal court in New York City in this courtroom sketch. Archive | Photo credit: Reuters
Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh separatist in New York City, pleaded guilty on Friday (Feb. 13, 2026) to three criminal charges, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said.
Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a combined maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, the spokesman said.
He entered his plea before Federal Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court.
Gupta’s lawyers were not immediately available for comment.
Gupta has been imprisoned in Brooklyn since his extradition to the United States in June 2024 from the Czech Republic, where he had been arrested a year earlier. He pleaded not guilty immediately after his extradition.
U.S. prosecutors accused Gupta of conspiring with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. resident and dual U.S.-Canadian citizen.
Nikhil Gupta, accused of murder-for-hire plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, extradited to US
The Indian government has dissociated itself from any plot against Pannun, saying it is against government policy.
The discovery of alleged assassination plots against Sikh separatists in the United States and Canada has tested relations with India, which has also denied involvement in such plots.
Published – February 13, 2026 10:17 pm IST