NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON – US prosecutors exposed Indian national of plotting assassinations across United States, Nepal, and Pakistan.
US prosecutors accused an Indian national of working with a former officer of India’s external spy agency to orchestrate assassinations across three countries with promises of planes full of weapons, hired killers, and encrypted commands to “finish the job.”
According to newly unsealed court documents, Yadav allegedly directed Gupta to arrange contract killings targeting Sikh separatist leaders. The plan’s main focus was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a NYC-based lawyer and activist pushing for a separate Sikh state.
Prosecutors say Gupta tried to hire a hitman to kill Pannun, offering $100,000 for the job, with $15,000 already handed over in Manhattan. The supposed assassin, however, was an undercover DEA operative.
WhatsApp messages cited in court show Yadav promising Gupta “assault rifles and pistols” and even clearance for an aircraft to ferry weapons from India. But Yadav allegedly made the arms deal conditional on Pannun’s murder. In June 2023, when Gupta asked about the “toys,” Yadav responded they would only be delivered after the hit.
The conspiracy, however, extended far beyond New York. Prosecutors revealed discussions about additional targets in California, as well as at least one individual in Nepal or Pakistan. In one chilling exchange, Yadav ordered Gupta: “If they have really captured the target, they should kill him. Otherwise, we won’t get another chance.” Gupta reported that “soldiers” had already arrived in Nepal to hunt the target.
The case also connects to June 18, 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Gupta told the undercover operative that Nijjar “was also a target,” though Yadav later instructed him to focus on Pannun.
Gupta was arrested in Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, after an international manhunt. He was extradited to the US in June this year under a bilateral treaty and now faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland slammed the alleged plot as an attack on American democracy, declaring: “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco called it a “brazen attempt to crush political dissent,” while FBI Director Christopher Wray vowed to defend Americans’ constitutional freedoms against foreign interference.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram credited the breakthrough to international cooperation, praising Czech law enforcement for their decisive role in Gupta’s arrest.
