Nikhil Gupta (53), an Indian national, was arrested and detained in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and extradited under the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic. Gupta arrived in the United States on June 14 and was indicted on the charges today.
“This extradition makes clear that the Department of Justice will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Nikhil Gupta will now face justice in an American court for his alleged involvement in a plot directed by Indian government officials to target and assassinate American citizens who supported the Sikh separatist movement in India…”
“This murder-for-hire plot, allegedly orchestrated by Indian government employees to murder American citizens in New York City, was a brazen attempt to silence political activists who were exercising their quintessential American right to free speech,” the deputy chief said. Attorney General Lisa Monaco…
“This defendant was extradited to face charges that he participated in a conspiracy to assassinate an American citizen on American soil,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “The FBI will not tolerate attempts by foreign nationals or anyone else to suppress constitutionally protected freedoms in the United States. We will continue to work with our partners at home and abroad to protect our citizens and these sacred rights.”
“The defendant conspired with employees of the Indian government to plot a failed assassination right here in New York City against a U.S. citizen of Indian origin,” said Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s extradition clearly demonstrates our unwavering determination to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute those who seek to harm and silence American citizens, here and elsewhere. We thank the Czech government for its close cooperation in this extradition. Thank you.”
“Last year, DEA uncovered an assassination plot orchestrated by Indian government employee and international drug trafficker Nikhil Gupta. Gupta is said to have orchestrated a dangerous plot to kill American citizens on American soil. DEA's top priority has always been the American people. health and safety,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “This extradition is the result of the hard work and dedication of the DEA New York Division Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of DEA, New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department. This incident is also evidence of: “It’s a partnership that DEA has built with federal law enforcement partners at home as well as law enforcement partners around the world, such as the National Drug Headquarters in the Czech Republic.”
According to court documents, last year, an Indian government employee (CC-1) worked with Gupta and others in India and elsewhere to plan to assassinate a lawyer and political activist, an Indian-American citizen, in the United States. soil.
Gupta is an Indian national residing in India, an associate of CC-1, and described in his communications with CC-1 and others as being involved in international drug and arms trafficking. CC-1 was an Indian government agency employee, variously describing himself as a “senior field officer” with responsibilities in the areas of “security management” and “intelligence,” and said he had previously served in the Indian Central Reserve Police and was qualified as a “police officer.” I mentioned it. [] Training in “combat techniques” and “weapons”. CC-1 masterminded the assassination plot in India.
Around May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to coordinate the assassination of victims in the United States. The victim leads a US-based organization that is a vocal critic of the Indian government and advocates for the separation of the northern state of Punjab. India is home to many Sikhs, a minority ethnic group in India. The victim publicly called for part or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a sovereign Sikh state called Khalistan, and the Indian government banned the victim and his separatist organization from India.
At CC-1's direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom Gupta believed to be a criminal associate, but who was actually a confidential informant working with the DEA (CS) to help contract a hitman to kill a victim in New York City. The CS introduced Gupta to the alleged assassin, who was actually a DEA undercover officer (UC). CC-1 agreed to pay UC $100,000 to kill the victim in a deal brokered by Gupta. On or about June 9, 2023, CC-1 and Gupta arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1's staff gave $15,000 to the University of California in Manhattan.
In furtherance of the assassination plot around June 2023, CC-1 provided Gupta with personal information about the victim, including the victim's home address, phone numbers associated with the victim, and details about the victim's daily activities. Gupta was then accepted to UC. CC-1 instructed Gupta to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which Gupta did by, among other things, forwarding surveillance photos of the victims to CC-1. Although Gupta instructed the UC to carry out the killings as quickly as possible, Gupta also specifically instructed the UCs not to commit the killings during the time of the skirmishes expected to occur in the coming weeks between senior U.S. and Indian government officials. instructed.
On or about June 18, 2023, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the victim and, like the victim, was a leader in the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. Around June 19, 2023, the day after Nijjar's murder, Gupta told UC that Nijjar “was also a target” and that “we have too many targets.” Gupta added that, considering Nijjar's murder, there was “now no need to wait” to kill the victim. On or about June 20, 2023, CC-1 sent Gupta a news article about the victim and sent Gupta the following message:[i]t's [a] “Now comes first.”
Gupta was charged with exploiting interstate commerce for the purpose of murder. [for hire] 18 USC § 1958, and conspiring to do so.