Allegations contained in indictment brought by justice department against Indian national in murder-for-hire case
www.ft.com
US charges Indian national over foiled plot to kill Sikh separatist
Murder-for-hire charges brought by DoJ against Nikhil Gupta over plan to assassinate American citizen in New York
US President Joe Biden, right, has faced criticism from human rights groups over his administration’s efforts to deepen ties with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi © via REUTERS
US federal prosecutors have accused an Indian government official of orchestrating a plot to kill a Sikh activist in New York City, complicating the Biden administration’s efforts to boost ties with India to help counter China.
The US justice department said prosecutors had charged an Indian citizen named Nihkil Gupta, who was working with the Indian government official, with paying someone he believed to be an assassin to carry out the plot, which was foiled by the US.
The US did not name the target of the alleged plot, but the FT has confirmed that he was Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel for Sikhs for Justice, a US-based group that is part of a separatist movement pushing for the creation of an independent Sikh state in India called “Khalistan”.
This is a developing story