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US officials release photo of Nikhil Gupta accused of plot against Sikh separatist
The US Justice Department claimed that an unnamed Indian government employee recruited Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination of Pannun, which was foiled
- PUBLISHED: Sat 14 Feb 2026, 3:08 PM
- By:
- ANI
New York's Drug Enforcement Administration released pictures of Nikhil Gupta, an Indian man accused of orchestrating a failed assassination plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a NIA designated terrorist in New York, who pleaded guilty on Friday (local time) and was given a sentence of upto 24 years in prison.
The FBI in New York stated that the case highlights the FBI's ongoing commitment to protecting the homeland from threats posed by foreign nationals targeting Americans exercising their constitutionally protected rights.
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"Nikhil Gupta was a key participant in a murder-for-hire plot against a US citizen, a murder that was prevented thanks to the actions of US law enforcement," said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky.
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"The US citizen became a target of transnational repression solely for exercising their freedom of speech. The message from the FBI should be clear — no matter where you are located if you try to harm our citizens we will not stop until you are brought to justice."
Earlier, on October 17, 2024, Indian Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that the individual named in the US Justice Department's indictment case in the foiled assassination plot against Sikh separatist Pannun was no longer an employee of the government of India.
The US Justice Department claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination of Pannun, which was foiled.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship.
