In a shocking development, an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta has been charged in New York for allegedly orchestrating a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent leader of Sikhs for Justice.
Nikhil Gupta, accused of paying a hitman to carry out the murder, was exposed during an undercover drug case operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
The conspiracy, unveiled by a DEA task force, originated in India and targeted a U.S. citizen advocating for an independent Sikh state within India. The victim, Pannun, leads Sikhs for Justice, a New York-based group championing the cause. The case gained international attention when a separate Sikh separatist was killed in Canada, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to implicate New Delhi.
Nikhil Gupta, allegedly directed by an unnamed senior field officer in the Indian government, faces charges of murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire conspiracy
The White House National Security Council is collaborating with the government of India in its internal investigation. The purported hitman Nikhil Gupta hired turned out to be a confidential source working for U.S. law enforcement. Despite Nikhil Gupta‘s arrest in the Czech Republic, extradition to the United States is pending.
The accused had reportedly agreed to pay $100,000 for the assassination, urging the hitman to act swiftly but avoid conflicting with anticipated high-level engagements between U.S. and Indian officials. The gravity of the charges underscores the commitment to safeguard U.S. citizens both at home and abroad.
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