November 29th 2023.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department revealed a stunning development in its investigation into an alleged transnational assassination program orchestrated by the Indian government. According to a federal indictment, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, was charged with murder-for-hire and conspiring to commit murder-for-hire.
The indictment alleges that an Indian government official had instructed Gupta to coordinate the murder of a Sikh separatist living in New York. This high-level official reportedly provided Gupta with detailed information on the target, including his address, phone numbers, and daily routine. Gupta then hired an undercover agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration and paid him a $15,000 advance to commit the murder.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said in a press release that the investigators had “foiled and exposed a dangerous plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil.” Pritpal Singh, a coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, said: “India showed a clear disregard for the rule of law when its government orchestrated the killing of an American activist on U.S. soil, coinciding with Modi’s White House visit.”
The alleged assassination plot against the U.S. citizen was in the works around the same time as the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was also a leader in the Sikh separatist movement. Nijjar was murdered outside Vancouver in June, and the Canadian government has alleged the involvement of Indian intelligence in his death.
The details in the indictment reveal a murder-for-hire plot gone awry. According to the indictment, the Indian government official told Gupta that he was targeting multiple people in the U.S. Gupta allegedly promised “more jobs, more jobs” to the hitman, referring to more assassinations that would be carried out in the future.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in late June and is currently “in jail waiting to answer to these charges,” according to the U.S. Attorney's Office press release. These revelations have shocked the Sikh American community and have raised serious questions about the Indian government's disregard for the rule of law.
The accusations against Gupta expand the scope of what is publicly known about India’s alleged assassination campaign in Western countries. Documents reported by The Intercept last week alleged that India’s Research and Analysis Wing was coordinating the murders of individuals in Pakistan, using local criminal networks and assets based in the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan.
Sikh and Kashmiri separatists in Pakistan, as well as Sikh activists in the U.K. and Canada, have been killed in recent years, prompting accusations from family members and others of Indian government involvement. It is clear that the justice system must hold the perpetrators accountable and ensure that justice is served.
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