The case was announced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which stated that Gupta admitted involvement in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting a US citizen on American soil. The agency said the plan was disrupted before any attack could occur.
Court filings from the US Department of Justice show Gupta accepted three counts in a superseding indictment: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Investigators alleged he coordinated logistics, financing, and communications with individuals he believed could carry out the killing.
Authorities said Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, at Washington’s request and was extradited to the United States in June 2024. Prosecutors claim he had earlier attempted to hire a contract killer who was, in reality, an undercover operative.
According to charging documents, Gupta discussed payment, surveillance, and timing with the undercover contact over several weeks. Investigators allege he transferred an advance of $15,000 in cash toward a deal valued at $100,000. The indictment also references an individual identified as “CC-1,” described as a former Indian government employee who allegedly directed the plot.
US officials claim Gupta was instructed to delay the killing while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Washington in June 2023, citing concerns that an attack at that time could trigger diplomatic fallout and protests. Days later, Gupta allegedly resumed planning and shared material related to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to signal readiness to proceed, prosecutors said.
Separately, Indian authorities have stated that the individual identified by US prosecutors as CC-1 is no longer employed by the government. The man has been named in US documents as Vikas Yadav, who was previously arrested in India in an unrelated criminal case by the Delhi Police and later granted bail.
Pannun, who leads Sikhs for Justice, was designated a terrorist by India in 2020 on allegations of promoting separatism. He holds dual citizenship in the United States and Canada and has been the subject of multiple investigations linked to alleged extremist advocacy.
The case has drawn international attention because of its cross-border elements and allegations involving officials, raising diplomatic sensitivities. Legal experts say the outcome could influence future cooperation between investigative agencies and shape responses to transnational criminal conspiracies.
