Who is Nikhil Gupta ‘Khalistan’? Wiki, Biography, Age, Criminal Charges, Wife, Family
Nikhil Gupta, also known as Nikhil Khalistan, is an Indian man who was arrested by the US authorities for allegedly plotting to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York.
Gupta is accused of conspiring with four other co-defendants, including an Indian government employee, a Canadian citizen, a Pakistani national, and a US citizen, to hire a hitman to kill Pannun, who is the legal adviser of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a banned pro-Khalistan group.
Background
Nikhil Gupta was born in India and moved to the US in 2010. He is a naturalized US citizen and lives in New Jersey. He works as a software engineer and has a wife and two children. According to the US Department of Justice, Gupta is a supporter of the Khalistan movement, which seeks to create a separate homeland for Sikhs in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
Pannun is a US-based lawyer and activist who heads the SFJ, which advocates for a referendum on the independence of Khalistan. The SFJ has been designated as a terrorist organization by India, which accuses it of inciting violence and secessionism in Punjab. Pannun has also filed several lawsuits against Indian officials and politicians for alleged human rights violations against Sikhs.
Nikhil Gupta Wiki/Bio
| Name | Nikhil Gupta |
| Alias | Nikhil Khalistan |
| Age | 42 |
| Nationality | US (naturalized) |
| Occupation | Software engineer |
| Residence | New Jersey |
| Marital status | Married |
| Children | Two |
| Political affiliation | Khalistan supporter |
| Co-defendants | Four (unnamed) |
| Target | Gurpatwant Singh Pannun |
| Motive | To eliminate a pro-Khalistan leader |
| Method | Hiring a hitman |
| Date of arrest | November 18, 2023 |
| Charges | Conspiracy to murder a foreign official, conspiracy to violate the Neutrality Act, conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel in aid of racketeering |
| Potential sentence | Life imprisonment |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Plot
According to the criminal complaint, Gupta and his co-conspirators contacted an undercover FBI agent in April 2023, who posed as a hitman, and offered to pay him $150,000 to kill Pannun. They also provided the agent with Pannun’s photo, address, and vehicle information, and instructed him to shoot Pannun in the head. They also discussed the possibility of killing other SFJ members and Indian diplomats in the US.
The complaint alleges that Gupta was the main contact person for the co-conspirators and that he communicated with them through encrypted messaging apps and email. He also met with the undercover agent several times in person and made partial payments for the assassination. He was arrested on November 18, 2023, in New Jersey, and appeared in a federal court in Newark the next day.
Charges
Nikhil Gupta and his co-defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to murder a foreign official, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and one count of conspiracy to violate the Neutrality Act, which prohibits US citizens from taking part in military or hostile actions against foreign countries or governments, which carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment.
They are also charged with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.
Reaction
Pannun, who was not harmed in the plot, said that he was not surprised by the attempt on his life, and that he would continue his campaign for Khalistan. He also accused the Indian government of being behind the conspiracy, and demanded a thorough investigation by the US authorities.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs denied any involvement in the plot, and said that it was a matter for the US law enforcement agencies to handle. It also reiterated its stance that the SFJ is a banned outfit that promotes violence and secessionism in India.
The Sikh community in the US expressed shock and dismay over the plot and condemned any violence or extremism in the name of Khalistan. They also called for peace and harmony among Sikhs and other communities and urged the US government to protect the rights and safety of Sikhs in the country.
What Happened?
On November 24, 2023, the US Department of Justice announced that it had charged an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, in what it described as a “foiled plot to assassinate” a Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York City.
The indictment alleged that Gupta, 52, was hired by an unnamed Indian government official to kill Pannun, who is the legal adviser and spokesperson for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan group that advocates for the creation of an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
According to the court documents, Nikhil Gupta contacted an undercover agent of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in June 2023, posing as a businessman who wanted to hire a hitman to kill Pannun. Gupta offered to pay $150,000 for the job and provided the agent with Pannun’s photo, address, and other personal details.
However, the plot was uncovered by the DEA and the FBI, who arrested Gupta in July 2023 in an unnamed European country, where he had traveled to meet the agent and finalize the deal. Gupta was extradited to the US in November 2023 and is currently in custody. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted.
The US authorities also claimed that they had evidence of Gupta’s communication with the Indian government official, who allegedly supervised and directed the assassination plan. The official, whose identity and position have not been revealed, is also accused of providing Gupta with funds and logistical support for the operation.
The US charges against Gupta have sparked a diplomatic row between the US and India, as well as raised questions about the motives and implications of the alleged plot. Who is Nikhil Gupta, and why did he want to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun? What is the Khalistan movement, and what is its status in India and abroad? How has the Indian government reacted to the US accusations, and what are the possible consequences for the bilateral relations between the two countries? This article will attempt to answer these questions and provide some background and context for the readers.
Nikhil Gupta: A Mysterious Figure
Little is known about Nikhil Gupta, the man who is accused of plotting to kill Pannun. According to the US indictment, he is a citizen of India who resides in New Delhi. He is also said to have a business address in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The indictment does not specify what kind of business Gupta is involved in, or how he came into contact with the Indian government official who allegedly hired him. It also does not mention whether Gupta has any personal or ideological connection to the Khalistan movement, or whether he was acting solely for monetary gain.
However, some media reports have suggested that Gupta may have links to Indian intelligence agencies, and that he may have been part of a larger network of operatives working to counter the Khalistan movement.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Gupta is believed to be a former employee of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s external intelligence agency. The report cited unnamed sources who claimed that Gupta had worked for RAW in the past, but had left the agency after a dispute over his salary and benefits. The sources also alleged that Gupta had been in touch with a senior RAW officer, who was the Indian government official referred to in the US indictment.
Another report by The Quint, an online news platform, also claimed that Gupta had ties to the Indian intelligence agencies, and that he was part of a covert operation to infiltrate and disrupt the SFJ and other Khalistani groups. The report cited an anonymous source who claimed to be a former colleague of Gupta, and who said that Gupta had been recruited by the Indian intelligence in 2018, after he had approached them with information about the SFJ’s activities. The source also said that Gupta had used his business contacts in Dubai and Europe to gather intelligence and track the movements of Pannun and other Khalistani leaders.
However, these claims have not been verified or confirmed by any official sources, and Gupta’s lawyer has denied that his client has any connection to Indian intelligence or the government.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun: A Vocal Advocate of Khalistan
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the target of the alleged assassination plot, is one of the most prominent and vocal advocates of the Khalistan movement. He is the legal adviser and spokesperson for the SFJ, a US-based group that was founded in 2007 and that campaigns for the creation of an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
Pannun, who is a dual citizen of the US and Canada, is a lawyer by profession and has been involved in filing lawsuits against Indian officials and institutions in international courts, alleging human rights violations against Sikhs. He has also been organizing events and rallies in different parts of the world, including the US, Canada, and the UK, to promote the idea of a separate Sikh state.
Trivia
- The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state called Khalistan in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
- Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) is a US-based pro-Khalistan group that advocates for a referendum on the independence of Khalistan. It has been designated as a terrorist organization by India, which accuses it of inciting violence and secessionism in Punjab.
- Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a US-based lawyer and activist who heads the SFJ. He has also filed several lawsuits against Indian officials and politicians for alleged human rights violations against Sikhs.
- Nikhil Gupta is a US citizen and a software engineer who was arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate Pannun. He is accused of conspiring with four other co-defendants, including an Indian government employee, a Canadian citizen, a Pakistani national, and a US citizen, to hire a hitman to kill Pannun.
- Gupta and his co-defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to murder a foreign official, one count of conspiracy to violate the Neutrality Act, and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate and foreign travel in aid of racketeering. They face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
- Pannun, who was not harmed in the plot, said that he was not surprised by the attempt on his life, and that he would continue his campaign for Khalistan. He also accused the Indian government of being behind the conspiracy, and demanded a thorough investigation by the US authorities.
- The Indian Ministry of External Affairs denied any involvement in the plot, and said that it was a matter for the US law enforcement agencies to handle. It also reiterated its stance that the SFJ is a banned outfit that promotes violence and secessionism in India.
- The Sikh community in the US expressed shock and dismay over the plot, and condemned any violence or extremism in the name of Khalistan. They also called for peace and harmony among Sikhs and other communities, and urged the US government to protect the rights and safety of Sikhs in the country.
