An Indian man, Nikhil Gupta, 54, has pleaded guilty in a US federal court to plotting the murder of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist leader based in New York. Gupta admitted to charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces up to 40 years in prison. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a US citizen who campaigns for the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland in India. Prosecutors claim Gupta acted under orders from an Indian government official, a charge India rejects. US Attorney Jay Clayton said, "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." Pannun said, "Nikhil Gupta's guilty plea was judicial confirmation that India's Modi government orchestrated a structured murder-for-hire assassination plot on American soil." The plot reportedly began in May 2023 when Gupta met with an Indian government employee, Vikash Yadav, in Delhi. Yadav works with India's Cabinet Secretariat linked to the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India's foreign intelligence service. Gupta was instructed to hire a hitman for the assassination. An undercover operation led to Gupta contacting a supposed hitman who was actually a Drug Enforcement Administration officer. Gupta provided the target's home address and phone numbers to the undercover officer. The target was an associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader killed in Canada in June. Gupta allegedly told the undercover agent, "we have so many targets," implying others were also at risk. Canada has accused India of involvement in Nijjar's murder and the plot against Pannun, which India denies. The case has strained India-US and India-Canada relations. Gupta's lawyer has not yet commented on the guilty plea.