NEW YORK: Explosive revelations in US federal court filings allege that an Indian intelligence operative not only hired a civilian to carry out assassinations in Pakistan, Nepal, and the United States, but also offered a “plane-load of weapons” to support the plot.
The documents, submitted by US prosecutors, reveal expanded charges against the accused middleman, Nikhil “Nick” Gupta, including money laundering, credit card fraud, drug and arms trafficking, and the attempted murder of a target in Nepal or Pakistan.
According to the prosecution, the murder-for-hire conspiracy was not limited to the attempted killing of a Sikh separatist in New York, but extended to plans for assassinations in California, Nepal, and Pakistan. The court filings describe the operations as coordinated by Vikash Yadav, a former officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the country’s foreign intelligence service.
Weapons-for-Murder Offer
Prosecutors allege that Yadav offered to supply assault rifles and pistols to Gupta, and even promised to “arrange for the clearance of an airplane to transport the weapons from India.” The offer was made in WhatsApp messages dated June 22, 2023, where Yadav allegedly outlined the delivery of weapons as part of the broader plot.
Gupta reportedly followed up on June 26, asking Yadav to check on the “toys” — a coded term for firearms. Yadav allegedly responded that the weapons would be made available once the targeted assassination was completed.
The messages are being used by prosecutors to argue that the weapons deal was contingent on the killing of US-based Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, linking the arms shipment directly to the plot.
Multiple Targets, Coordinated Plot
Court documents show that the conspiracy began around May 2023, when Yadav instructed Gupta to save his contact as “Aman.” He allegedly assigned Gupta with overseeing the assassinations of multiple targets: one in New York, another in California, and at least one more in Nepal or Pakistan.
In one exchange dated May 8, Gupta informed Yadav that hired men — referred to as “soldiers” — had already arrived in Nepal and were searching for the target. Yadav pressed Gupta to increase payment and urged urgency: “If they have really captured the target, they should kill him. Otherwise, we won’t get another chance.”
Prosecutors described the Nepal operation as “strikingly similar” in structure and communication to the Pannun assassination attempt in New York.
Undercover Sting and Arrest
Gupta was arrested on June 30, 2023, in the Czech Republic, and extradited to the United States on June 14, 2024, under a bilateral treaty. He now faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Unbeknownst to Gupta, the “hitman” he attempted to hire was in fact an undercover DEA agent. The plan included surveillance of Pannun, with Gupta sending photos and updates, and coordinating the timing of the killing around India-US diplomatic events to avoid diplomatic fallout.
According to the indictment, $15,000 was paid as an initial deposit, with a total sum of $100,000 agreed for the hit.
Nijjar Connection
Court documents also refer to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh separatist leader, in Canada on June 18, 2023. Gupta told the undercover operative that Nijjar “was also the target,” suggesting coordination or overlap between the planned US operation and the killing in Canada.
US Government Condemnation
US officials have strongly condemned the plot.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Gupta’s extradition shows that the Justice Department “will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens.”
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco called it “a brazen attempt to silence a political activist for exercising a quintessential American right: freedom of speech.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray added that the bureau “will not tolerate attempts by foreign nationals… to repress constitutionally-protected freedoms in the United States.”
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram credited the agency’s New York division and praised the international cooperation that led to Gupta’s arrest, particularly the support from the Czech National Drug Headquarters.
Ongoing Investigation
The investigation is being led by the FBI and DEA, with trial attorneys from the National Security Division and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York handling prosecution. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs facilitated Gupta’s extradition.
The case continues to send diplomatic ripples through international circles, with implications for India-US relations, intelligence activities, and diaspora security.
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