New York: Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against a Sikh separatist in New York City, pleaded guilty on Friday to three criminal charges, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said.
Reports said Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison, the spokesperson said.
He entered his plea before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court.
Lawye
rs for Gupta were not immediately available for comment, reports said.
Gupta has been jailed in Brooklyn since his June 2024 extradition to the United States from the Czech Republic, where he had been arrested a year earlier. He had pleaded not guilty immediately after his extradition.
US prosecutors accused Gupta of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US resident and dual US-Canadian citizen.
“Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a US citizen in New York City. He thought that from outside this country, he could kill someone in it without consequence, simply for exercising their American right to free speech. But he was wrong, and he will face justice. Our message to all nefarious foreign actors should be clear: steer clear of the United States and our people,” US Attorney Jay Clayton said in a justice department statement on Friday.
India has dissociated itself from any plot against Pannun saying it was against government policy.