Indian national Nikhil Gupta, 54, has pleaded guilty to three charges at a US court in the plot to assassinate US-based pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
"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," US Attorney Jay Clayton said on Friday.
"Our message to all nefarious foreign actors should be clear: steer clear of the United States and our people," Clayton added.
Gupta was charged with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering and he has pleaded guilty to all three. His sentence will be announced on 29 May.
Gupta had been arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and he was later extradited to the US for trying to assassinate Pannun, the legal advisor of pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice.
Alleging the role of an Indian official, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. said:
“At the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee, Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a United States citizen on American soil, facilitating a foreign adversary’s unlawful effort to silence a vocal critic of the Indian government".FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.