Gupta was recruited by an official allegedly related to the Indian authorities to rearrange the killing of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun,
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Net Desk
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An Indian nationwide has pleaded responsible in a US federal courtroom to orchestrating a failed assassination plot in opposition to a Sikh separatist chief in New York, in a case that has heightened diplomatic tensions and raised issues about transnational repression.
Nikhil Gupta, who was extradited to america in 2024, admitted on Friday in federal courtroom in Manhattan to all three expenses in opposition to him, together with murder-for-hire and two counts of conspiracy. Prosecutors estimate that below federal sentencing pointers, he might withstand 24 years in jail.
In response to US authorities, Gupta was recruited by an official allegedly related to the Indian authorities to rearrange the killing of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen and outstanding advocate for Sikh independence. India’s authorities has denied any involvement within the plot.
Pannun is affiliated with Sikhs for Justice, a New York-based group that campaigns for the creation of an impartial Sikh homeland, also known as Khalistan, in India’s northern state of Punjab. The group has been designated as unlawful by Indian authorities.
Prosecutors stated the plot was a part of a broader sample of threats and assaults in opposition to Sikh separatists overseas, together with the killing of a Sikh chief in Canada final yr—an incident that considerably strained relations between India and Canada.
Gupta’s responsible plea marks a major growth within the case, which US officers have described as a severe violation of American sovereignty. Sentencing is anticipated within the coming months.
The case underscores rising worldwide scrutiny over alleged efforts to focus on political dissidents past nationwide borders, notably inside diaspora communities.
