A man accused of organizing a failed murder-for-hire plot targeting a U.S.-based Sikh activist is expected to plead guilty in federal court in Manhattan, according to court filings and media reports. The defendant, Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national who was extradited to the United States last year, has remained in federal custody as his case proceeds in the Southern District of New York.
Prosecutors and the U.S. Attorney’s Office notified the court of a hearing for Gupta set today, at which he is expected to enter a guilty plea, according to reporting by The New York Times. The filing marks a turning point in a case that has dragged through years of pretrial litigation and diplomatic fallout.
Federal prosecutors first charged Gupta in 2023, and he was extradited from the Czech Republic to New York in June 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He faces counts including murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, offenses that carry significant federal penalties, and the case is pending before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.
Allegations of government involvement
Prosecutors say Gupta was not acting alone. They allege he operated at the direction of an official inside the Indian government, a claim that has rattled relations between Washington and New Delhi and attracted intense media scrutiny.
Reporting in The Washington Post and other outlets has tied the case to broader investigations into suspected transnational plots against Sikh activists on foreign soil. Indian officials have publicly denied authorizing any such operation.
How the plot was foiled
According to prosecutors, the alleged scheme unraveled after Gupta reached out to people he thought were criminal associates, not realizing they were cooperating with U.S. law enforcement. An undercover operative took on the role of a hired killer.
Court filings cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office describe a $15,000 cash advance delivered in Manhattan to an undercover agent as part of an agreed $100,000 fee for the killing. The same filings say another Indian government employee has been charged in a superseding indictment and remains at large.
What’s next in court
If Gupta follows through and pleads guilty at the scheduled hearing, the case will shift to the sentencing phase. The judge will ultimately decide his sentence after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and any information about cooperation or other mitigating and aggravating factors.
Defense lawyers have previously pushed back on parts of the government’s narrative and signaled they intended to fight the charges aggressively, a stance noted in earlier court appearances and in reporting by The New York Times. A guilty plea would mark a sharp change in posture, though it would not necessarily answer every question about who else may have been involved.
The case has already helped fuel diplomatic discussions, street protests, and debates about the reach of foreign intelligence and security services on U.S. soil. For New Yorkers, it is also a reminder that some of the most sensitive counterintelligence battles play out quietly in downtown Manhattan courtrooms, even as the consequences ripple far beyond the city.
As the hearing approaches, legal observers are monitoring whether prosecutors and the defense will finalize a plea agreement and what additional details the government may present in court. Press materials from the Southern District of New York and national reports indicate that federal authorities view the case as part of a broader effort to prevent transnational attacks against individuals residing in the United States.
