Web Desk; According to court documents cited by Bloomberg, US prosecutors have alleged that a “murder-for-hire” plot linked to an Indian government official included plans for another assassination in either Nepal or Pakistan.
The US Department of Justice had earlier charged Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, with conspiring to kill Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. Prosecutors claim Gupta received instructions from Vikash Yadav, an officer of India’s external intelligence agency.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and later extradited to the US, while Yadav remains in India.
Fresh filings in federal court in New York suggest Gupta and Yadav also discussed targeting “another individual in Nepal or Pakistan.” Prosecutors further linked the two to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan Sikh activist who was shot dead in Canada in 2023.
Nijjar and Pannun were known associates and vocal critics of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though both were designated as terrorists by New Delhi.
The new allegations indicate the plot was broader than previously revealed, spanning multiple countries and potentially violating international law.
India has rejected Canada’s accusations over Nijjar’s killing but admitted an internal probe into the US allegations. New Delhi concluded that “rogue agents” were behind the conspiracy, with the individual responsible reportedly removed from service, according to Indian officials quoted by Bloomberg.
The case adds strain to India’s already tense regional relations. Pakistan ties remain fragile after recent armed clashes, while Nepal faces domestic instability following the collapse of its government.
On the global stage, US-India relations have also cooled, with Washington imposing steep tariffs on Indian goods in response to its continued imports of Russian oil.
The revelations also come at a sensitive time for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is attempting to repair relations with India after years of friction. Canadian authorities have already charged four Indian nationals in Nijjar’s murder.
Gupta’s trial is scheduled for November 3 in New York. Prosecutors say their case is backed by “hundreds of WhatsApp communications” and emails between Gupta and Yadav, detailing plots against Nijjar, efforts to target another individual in Pakistan or Nepal, and offers to provide weapons to an undercover US agent.
