Indian national Nikhil Gupta has been charged by the US federal prosecutor for planning to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, on US soil.
Gupta was charged with hiring an undercover agent, while the hitman turned out to be one. 52-year-old Gupta is being detained in the Czech Republic while he awaits extradition to the United States. He could go to prison for up to 20 years if found guilty. A senior Indian official, whose full name has not been disclosed, is allegedly masterminding the plot to kill Pannun in NYC. Without providing any reference, the Financial Times revealed last week that US authorities had thwarted the assassination plot against Pannun.
The Indian official, known as “CC-1” by US federal prosecutors, was accused in an indictment of organizing a plot to kill a political activist and lawyer who is a US citizen of Indian descent and lives in New York City. In an assortment of phone calls and messages that were sent over hidden programs beginning in early May 2023, CC-1 demanded that Gupta set up the victim’s murder in return for CC-1’s support in having an indictment against Gupta in India. Gupta approved the assassination plan. The Indian government worker is reported to have been in touch with Gupta on May 6, 2023, saying, “This is (CC-1)…” as they began speaking over a secure communication app.Â
Please save my name as (CC-1 Alias). Gupta made an alias out of CC1’s phone number. Gupta made an alias out of CC-1’s phone number. According to the indictment, CC-1 informed Gupta via text shortly afterward that they had a “concentration in New York” and another in “California.” Following orders from CC-1, Gupta allegedly attempted to hire a hitman in New York City to kill Pannun. It turned out that he was a confidential informant for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), despite his mistaken belief that he was an illicit associate. Then the undercover police officer and CC-1 worked out a deal whereby CC-1 would pay the hidden agent $100,000 for the purportedly Gupta-arranged assassination.
 In June 2023, Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic at US’s inquiry and the Washington post described him as an international narcotics trafficker.
India called the US accusations that an official of the government had planned a murderous plot on US soil an issue of concern and stated that a high level investigation committee would launch an exhaustive inquiry. India’s inquiry efforts have been applauded by the United States.
We look forward to seeing the outcomes of the inquiry that the Indian government disclosed today, said the Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement on Thursday. Several of us have personally brought up the issue with the Indian government in the past few weeks.
