US Charges Indian Man with Plot to Assassinate Pannun

An Indian government official is being accused in the United States of orchestrating a plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil by federal prosecutors. A second Indian man, Nikhil Gupta, was charged with the foiled killing plot on Thursday by the US Justice Department.

A Manhattan court indictment alleges that Nikhil Gupta, 52, conspired with an Indian government employee to murder Pannun, a US citizen who founded the Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice.

“The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a US citizen of Indian ancestry who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs,” Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that US authorities had foiled a plot to kill Pannun and warned India over suspicions New Delhi was involved.

In the wake of Canada’s allegations that Indian agents were involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June of this year, the US charges come amid continuing controversy. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, has not yet provided any evidence to back up this claim.

In the US court document, it is stated that the Indian government employee was responsible for security and intelligence, but is not named. According to the charges, ‘CC-1’ is the unnamed individual who allegedly ‘directed’ the plot to kill Pannun ‘from India. He recruited Nikhil Gupta to carry out the killing in May 2023.

According to federal prosecutors, Gupta agreed to the plan after being assured that he would not face a criminal charge in Gujarat. He allegedly assured Gupta that “your Gujarat (case) had been dealt with” and “nobody would bother you again”. He also arranged a meeting between Gupta and a “DCP” (Deputy Commissioner of Police).

In order to hire a hitman for Pannun’s killing, Gupta allegedly sought help from a criminal associate. According to prosecutors, the associate worked for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a confidential source, and the hitman was an undercover agent.

An advance payment of $15,000 was delivered to the undercover agent (referred to as “UC” in the indictment) in Manhattan as part of the plot, as Gupta agreed to pay $100,000 for Pannun’s assassination.

Gupta relayed to the DEA agent detailed personal information about the target, including his home address, phone numbers, and daily routine, according to court documents.