In a striking case that Pakistani officials say underscores India’s hypocrisy, U.S. federal prosecutors have unveiled evidence that an Indian intelligence handler directed a global murder-for-hire network—while New Delhi publicly accuses others of cross-border terrorism.
According to newly filed U.S. court documents, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian citizen arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to New York, conspired to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, an American citizen. Prosecutors allege that Gupta acted on instructions from Vikash Yadav, identified in filings as a former officer of India’s external spy agency, RAW.
Investigators say Yadav promised Gupta assault rifles, pistols and even clearance for an aircraft to ferry weapons from India, on condition that the killing be carried out. Encrypted messages cited by prosecutors describe “multiple targets,” including individuals in Nepal and Pakistan, and detail cash payments for “soldiers” hired to execute the attacks.
Court filings further claim that Yadav and Gupta discussed a second plot “strikingly similar” to the U.S. plan—this time to eliminate a target in Nepal or Pakistan. On May 8, 2023, Gupta reportedly told Yadav that hired men had already arrived in Nepal and were “looking for the target,” prompting Yadav to urge immediate action: “If they have really captured the target, they should kill him. Otherwise, we won’t get another chance.”
Prosecutors also linked the pair to the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, saying Gupta boasted that Nijjar “was also the target.” Gupta, 53, now faces charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, each carrying a potential 10-year sentence. His trial is scheduled to begin 3 November in a New York federal court.
U.S. authorities—including the Attorney General, the FBI and the DEA—have condemned the alleged plot as a brazen attempt by foreign operatives to silence political dissent on American soil.
A Stark Contrast to India’s Claims
The revelations come as India continues to accuse neighboring Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism and to deny any state role in overseas assassinations. Pakistani diplomats, who only hours ago rebutted Indian allegations at the United Nations, call the case a vivid example of the proverb “Ulta Chor Kotwal Ko Dantay”—the thief scolds the constable—arguing that the evidence of RAW-directed killings abroad exposes New Delhi’s own clandestine violence even as it points fingers at others.
With U.S. prosecutors detailing plots that stretch from New York to Nepal and Pakistan, the case is being watched closely in multiple capitals and is likely to add strain to India’s claims of adhering to international law while accusing its neighbours of terrorism.
