Nikhil Gupta, 54, an Indian national, has pleaded guilty to plotting the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani separatist leader and US citizen. Gupta admitted to charges of murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder, and money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for May 2026. In 2023, Gupta worked with Vikas Yadav, identified as a former Indian government employee, to plan Pannun's killing. US court papers say Pannun openly called for Punjab's secession from India to form Khalistan. The Indian government has banned him and his group. Gupta, also called Nick, claimed in messages to Yadav that he was an international narcotics and weapons trafficker. Yadav recruited him to arrange Pannun's murder. Gupta contacted a hitman, who was actually an undercover agent. Yadav agreed to pay $100,000 for the hit. Authorities gave Gupta Pannun’s personal details including his address and routine. The murder plot was uncovered, and Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic before being sent to the US. US Attorney Jay Clayton said, “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. Our message to all nefarious foreign actors should be clear: steer clear of the United States and our people.”