NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Newly unsealed court documents further details the plot linking an Indian intelligence officer with a plan to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States. The case has added fuel to ongoing tensions between Canada and India over the Khalistan separatist movement and allegations of extrajudicial killings.
Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national with ties to drugs and weapons trafficking, admitted to U.S. officials that he was recruited in India to help carry out the killing of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S.-Canadian citizen and leading voice of the Khalistan movement. Pannun is a lawyer and heads Sikhs For Justice, a New York-based group advocating for a separate Sikh state in India’s Punjab region. India has deemed Pannun a terrorist.
According to documents filed in U.S. District Court, Gupta said he was approached in New Delhi after returning from Uzbekistan in 2023. Facing a pending robbery charge, Gupta was told his legal issues could disappear — if he agreed to help kill a man in New York.
The person who made the offer was identified as “Amanat.” U.S. officials allege that “Amanat” is Vikash Yadav, a senior officer in India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which reports to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office.
During the meeting in New Delhi, Yadav allegedly provided Gupta with Pannun’s details, including his address and phone number. Court documents say Yadav also arranged for $15,000 to be delivered in cash to start the hit job.
Gupta then turned to someone he believed was a Colombian drug trafficker to carry out the murder. In reality, that person was a confidential informant working for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Gupta allegedly offered the undercover agent $100,000 to kill Pannun and discussed a plan to assassinate other targets in Canada. The plot was still being organized when Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a close associate of Pannun, was killed in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
The next day, Gupta allegedly showed the undercover agent a video of Nijjar’s shooting and confirmed that it was the Canadian target they had previously discussed. U.S. prosecutors say this strongly suggests a connection between Gupta’s network and Nijjar’s murder.
Gupta’s plan unraveled when Czech police arrested him at Prague airport on June 30, 2023. He immediately offered to cooperate with authorities and asked to be taken to the United States, court records say.
During questioning, Gupta identified “Amanat” and provided his contact details. Gupta was later extradited to the U.S., where he now faces trial for murder-for-hire and conspiracy charges. His lawyers are fighting to have some evidence suppressed and one charge dropped. Meanwhile, Yadav has been indicted by U.S. prosecutors for conspiracy to commit murder. He remains at large and is listed on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
The case has strained diplomatic ties between Canada and India. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau openly accused India of being involved in Nijjar’s killing. India has denied any role and criticized Canada for allowing pro-Khalistan activity within its borders.
Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested four suspects in Alberta and Ontario in connection with Nijjar’s murder. However, the RCMP has not yet officially linked them to India.
Canada’s intelligence agency said in its 2024 annual report that foreign governments, including India, are increasingly using criminal groups to target dissidents abroad. Pannun, the intended target of Gupta’s alleged plot, said the Indian government uses such tactics to maintain plausible deniability.
“This is what India is doing now,” Pannun told reporters on Friday. “They use criminal networks to put distance between themselves and the killings.”
The United States and Canada have both expressed concern over foreign interference and transnational repression. Officials warn that using criminal networks to silence activists abroad undermines international law and poses a serious threat to democracy.
As the investigation continues, the trial of Nikhil Gupta could shed more light on what U.S. prosecutors say is a deliberate campaign by India to target dissidents overseas. The diplomatic fallout is likely to remain tense, with growing calls for transparency and accountability.
