Washington, Feb 13 Indian national Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court in New York to all three counts in a superseding indictment charging him in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting a U.S.-based Sikh separatist leader, marking a dramatic turn in a case that had been heading toward trial.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York, Gupta entered guilty pleas to Count One (conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire), Count Two (murder-for-hire), and Count Three (conspiracy to commit money laundering), according to court docket entries.
Gupta was present with defence counsel David Touger. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille Fletcher, Alexander Li, and Ashley Nicolas appeared for the government. A court reporter and Hindi interpreters were present during the proceeding in New York.
Judge Netburn recommended that District Judge Victor Marrero accept the plea. A control date has been set for March 15, 2026. Gupta remains detained. The court ordered a Presentence Investigation Report (PSI), and detention was continued.
The plea ends months of pre-trial litigation in one of the most closely watched foreign-linked criminal cases in Manhattan federal court.
Gupta had been charged in a superseding indictment alleging that he conspired to arrange the assassination of a Sikh political activist described in court filings as “a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who resides in New York City” and “a leader of the Sikh separatist movement.”
Prosecutors alleged that Gupta used intermediaries, including a confidential source and an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a contract killer, to facilitate the plot.
Court filings previously stated that $15,000 was delivered in New York as an advance payment for the killing, forming the basis of the money-laundering conspiracy charge.
Gupta was arrested in June 2023 at Prague airport in the Czech Republic and later extradited to the United States. In October 2025, Judge Marrero denied Gupta’s motion to suppress statements and evidence obtained during his arrest and interrogation and rejected his attempt to dismiss the money-laundering count.
In that ruling, the court found there was “no joint venture between authorities of the Czech Republic and the United States,” that Gupta’s statements were voluntary, and that he did not have standing to challenge the added charge under the rule of specialty.
With Thursday’s guilty plea, Gupta has now admitted responsibility for all three counts in the superseding indictment. The case moves into the sentencing phase.
The U.S. Probation Office will prepare a Presentence Investigation Report outlining Gupta’s background, the offense conduct, and recommended guideline calculations. Sentencing will be conducted by Judge Marrero after review of the PSI and written submissions from both sides.
The charges carry severe penalties. Federal murder-for-hire statutes allow for substantial prison terms, including potential life sentences depending on statutory and guideline findings. The money-laundering conspiracy charge also carries significant prison exposure.
Judge Netburn’s recommendation must be formally accepted by Judge Marrero before sentencing proceedings move forward. For now, Gupta remains in federal custody pending further court action.
--IANS
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