The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan announced on Wednesday that an Indian national has been charged with conspiring to murder a U.S. citizen who advocated for a separate state for Sikhs. Nikhil Gupta, who was arrested by Czech authorities in June, is awaiting extradition. According to the office, Gupta was plotting to assassinate the individual within New York City.
However, Gupta was not available for comment. Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, stated, “The defendant conspired from India to assassinate, right here in New York City, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs.” This indicates the severity of the planned crime and the specific target that Gupta was aiming for.
These charges were brought to light after a senior Biden administration official revealed that U.S. authorities had successfully blocked a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the country. The administration’s official also issued a stern warning to India regarding concerns that the government in New Delhi might have been involved in the plot.
The target of the foiled plan was identified as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who claims to hold dual citizenship in the United States and Canada. The revelation of the individual’s identity adds a new layer of complexity to the situation.
While the prosecutors did not disclose the identity of the intended victim of Gupta’s conspiracy, they did describe the individual as a vocal critic of the Indian government who leads a U.S.-based organization advocating for the secession of India’s Punjab state. Punjab is home to a large population of Sikhs, adding further significance to the alleged plot.
This development comes shortly after Canada made assertions that there were “credible” allegations linking Indian agents to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in a Vancouver suburb in June. However, India has denied any involvement in the incident, raising potential international implications.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Susan Heavey, Chizu Nomiyama and Mark Porter)
