Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Days after Western media reports claimed the US had accused India of orchestrating a plot to kill Khalistani radical Gurupatwant Singh Pannun, an American national, the identity of the accused was made public.
US Attorney Damian Williams announced the filing of murder-for-hire charges against Nikhil Gupta, accusing him of hiring a hitman to bump off Pannun. The charges in a superseding indictment were unsealed on Wednesday in a US District Court for Southern District of New York.
Czech authorities arrested Gupta, 52, on June 30 and extradited him to the US, where he is in prison. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Gupta’s handler, the indictment said, is an “Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence,” and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” He directed the plot from India, Williams alleged.
Gupta is said to be involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking. The hitman Gupta hired was an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration officer. The deal was done for $1,00,000 and he was paid $30,000 in two instalments as advance, the indictment further claimed.
The hit job was timed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with US President Joe Biden in June. Earlier in the day, India announced that it has constituted a committee to look into the issues the US had raised on the Pannun case.
“It is informed that on 18 November 2023, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter,’’ said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.
How it is tied to Nijjar
On June 18, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Canada. On or about June 19, Gupta told the purported hitman that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets,” the indictment claimed. Next day, Gupta’s handler told him bumping off Pannun is priority Follow channel on WhatsApp
NEW DELHI: Days after Western media reports claimed the US had accused India of orchestrating a plot to kill Khalistani radical Gurupatwant Singh Pannun, an American national, the identity of the accused was made public.
US Attorney Damian Williams announced the filing of murder-for-hire charges against Nikhil Gupta, accusing him of hiring a hitman to bump off Pannun. The charges in a superseding indictment were unsealed on Wednesday in a US District Court for Southern District of New York.
Czech authorities arrested Gupta, 52, on June 30 and extradited him to the US, where he is in prison. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Gupta’s handler, the indictment said, is an “Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence,” and who also has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” He directed the plot from India, Williams alleged.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Gupta is said to be involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking. The hitman Gupta hired was an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration officer. The deal was done for $1,00,000 and he was paid $30,000 in two instalments as advance, the indictment further claimed.
The hit job was timed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s summit meeting with US President Joe Biden in June. Earlier in the day, India announced that it has constituted a committee to look into the issues the US had raised on the Pannun case.
“It is informed that on 18 November 2023, the Government of India constituted a high-level Enquiry Committee to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter,’’ said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.
How it is tied to Nijjar
On June 18, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered in Canada. On or about June 19, Gupta told the purported hitman that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets,” the indictment claimed. Next day, Gupta’s handler told him bumping off Pannun is priority Follow channel on WhatsApp
