Nikhil Gupta, an Indian man, pleaded guilty to three criminal charges in the US, including murder-for-hire and money laundering. He is accused of planning to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based Sikh activist. Gupta faces up to 40 years in prison. The US attorney Jay Clayton said, "Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a US citizen in New York City." Clayton added, "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." FBI assistant director James Barnacle stated Gupta acted "at the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee." Pannun is a lawyer for Sikhs for Justice and supports a Sikh state in northern India. When the plot was first revealed in 2023, Pannun called it a "blatant case of India’s transnational terrorism." The case follows the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were "credible allegations" that India was involved. India denied these claims, calling them "absurd." Gupta was arrested after being extradited from the Czech Republic. He worked with Vikash Yadav, an Indian government official who remains at large and is wanted by US authorities. Gupta tried to hire a killer, but the man was actually a US government confidential source. India says it had no role in the assassination attempt and condemned the plot. Recent US-India relations showed cooperation, but US officials say Prime Minister Narendra Modi had no knowledge of Gupta’s plot, according to the New York Times.