New twist in Khalistani supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun homicide conspiracy case – Imperial Wire

Nikhil Gupta entered his plea earlier than US Justice of the Peace Decide Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal courtroom.

Revealed: February 14, 2026 12:03 AM IST

New Delhi: Nikhil Gupta has pleaded responsible in a US courtroom to plotting the homicide of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Nikhil Gupta, accused of plotting the failed assassination of Pannun in New York Metropolis, pleaded responsible to 3 felony fees in Manhattan federal courtroom. Nikhil admitted the costs in courtroom on Friday, 13 February 2026. There was no speedy remark from Nikhil Gupta’s lawyer on the matter.

Nikhil Gupta entered his plea earlier than US Justice of the Peace Decide Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal courtroom. A spokesperson for the US Legal professional’s Workplace in Manhattan said that 54-year-old Nikhil pleaded responsible in Friday’s listening to to conspiracy to commit homicide and cash laundering. He faces a attainable 40-year jail sentence for these counts.

Nikhil Gupta has been in a US jail since 2024

Nikhil Gupta has been incarcerated in a Brooklyn jail since his extradition from the Czech Republic to the USA in June 2024. He was arrested within the Czech Republic a 12 months earlier. Instantly after his extradition to the US, Nikhil pleaded not responsible and said that the costs in opposition to him had been false.

US prosecutors have accused Nikhil Gupta of conspiring with an Indian official to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The Indian authorities has distanced itself from any conspiracy in opposition to Pannun, stating that that is in opposition to authorities coverage.

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Who’re Nikhil Gupta and Pannun?

Pannun is a US resident and a US-Canadian citizen who may be very vocal concerning the Khalistan trigger. He runs the banned group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and is a chosen terrorist in India. Pannun has an extended historical past of constructing statements inciting violence in opposition to India. He advocates for the partition of India to create a separate nation, Khalistan, for Sikhs.

Nikhil Gupta’s identify got here into the limelight in November 2023 when he was accused of plotting the homicide of an Indian-American citizen in New York. It was alleged that Nikhil Gupta had employed a person to hold out this crime. Now, a brand new twist has emerged on this case.