He took blame on himself… wanted to end it: Nikhil Gupta’s family on Pannun murder plot

Nikhil Gupta’s decision to plead guilty in a United States court in the murder-for-hire conspiracy case linked to Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York was a move to bring an end to a “long and exhausting” legal battle for himself and his family, sources close to Gupta’s family told The Indian Express Saturday. While the family had an inkling that such a step could be taken, they learnt of Gupta’s final decision only through his lawyer on Friday, within hours of which the news was already being reported in the media, sources added. “The family has been fighting this for so long. He would have sensed the toll it was taking on them and decided to put an end to it. He hasn’t turned approver or anything but has taken all the blame on himself, from what the family has been told by his lawyer,” said a source close to the family. The news of Gupta pleading guilty, and the fact that it almost certainly means a sentence and imprisonment, has left his wife and mother in shock, the source said. “It’s obviously the toughest for them, this development.” Gupta is learnt to have spoken to his family over the phone a few days before he entered the guilty plea, but did not indicate during that conversation that such a decision was imminent, sources said. The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison. He entered his plea before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Manhattan federal court. Travelling from India to the Czech Republic, Gupta was arrested by Czech law enforcement on June 30, 2023, at the request of the US government, pursuant to the extradition treaty between the two countries. Accused of being involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun, an American citizen, in New York, Gupta was extradited from Prague to the US on June 14, and has been lodged in a Brooklyn jail in New York. The prolonged legal battle has taken a financial toll on Gupta’s family in India, forcing them to discontinue the services of a private attorney. Gupta eventually requested a government-appointed counsel in the US, which was granted. “There is obviously a funds crunch. They have exhausted all their money fighting this battle. But they are now exploring whether they can raise some money to get him a lawyer for the sentencing hearing, expected in the last week of May,” another source said. The family has maintained that no one in the Indian government has reached out to offer assistance in the legal fight, despite their efforts to make contact with officials in the Ministry of External Affairs. “No one from the government has reached out to the family to date,” the source added. Earlier, in an exclusive interview to The Indian Express through an intermediary published in January 2025, Gupta had said that while he received Indian consular access thrice during his almost year-long detention in Prague, he had not received any in the first six months since his extradition to the United States. In the same interview, Gupta had denied any links to Vikash Yadav, his alleged co-conspirator accused of orchestrating the plot to murder Pannun, and called the evidence presented by the US “fabricated.” New Delhi has denied any role in the alleged plot, saying such actions are against government policy. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly dismissed the allegations as “unwarranted and unsubstantiated”. Asked about Yadav on October 18, 2024, when his identity was revealed by US prosecutors through a superseding indictment, an MEA spokesperson said he is “no longer an employee of the government of India.” In response, India set up a high-level inquiry committee to address the security concerns raised by the US. The MEA reiterated that India takes such matters seriously, given their implications for national security. The MEA has not reacted to Friday’s development on Gupta pleading guilty. An award-winning journalist with 19 years of experience reporting on politics, governance, and public policy, Ritika Chopra is currently Resident Editor of The Indian Express, Mumbai. She oversees the edition’s editorial coverage and reporting on the city and the wider region. Previously, she has served as Chief of the National Bureau (Government) and National Education Editor in New Delhi, leading coverage of government policy and education. Ritika has closely tracked the Union Government, with a focus on politically sensitive institutions such as the Election Commission of India and the Education Ministry, and has authored investigative reports that have prompted official responses. Ritika joined The Indian Express in 2015. Previously, she was part of the political bureau at The Economic Times, India’s largest financial daily. Her journalism career began in Kolkata, her birthplace, with the Hindustan Times in 2006 as an intern, before moving to Delhi in 2007. Since then, she has been reporting from the capital on politics, education, social sectors, and the Election Commission of India. ... Read More