US charges Indian man in alleged plot to kill Pannun

The US Justice Department has charged a 52-year-old Indian national Nikhil Gupta with involvement in an alleged murder plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.This development comes a week after a Financial Times report alleged that the US had foiled a plot to kill Pannun and then "issued a warning" to India over concerns that New Delhi was "involved in the plot" to eliminate Pannun.Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun -- a dual citizen of the United States and Canada -- was allegedly the target of the plot.In a statement on Wedbesday, the US Attorney's Office accused an Indian government employee of being part of a murder conspiracy.The US Attorney's Office has filed "murder-for-hire" and murder-for-hire conspiracy charges against Indian national Nikhil Gupta. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.
A press release by the US Justice Department, quoting court documents, said that earlier this year, "an Indian government employee, working together with others, including Gupta, in India and elsewhere, directed a plot to assassinate on US soil an attorney and political activist who is a US citizen of Indian-origin residing in New York City".The US officials added, the Indian government agency employee has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence".According to US officials, Gupta had agreed to pay $100,000 to an assassin to carry out the killing, with an advance payment of $15,000 already made on June 9, 2023.However, the individual he contacted for the hitman turned out to be a confidential source working with US law enforcement.