Indian national pleads not guilty in foiled plot to kill U.S. citizen
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An Indian national accused of plotting to kill a U.S. citizen in New York pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court on Monday after being extradited to the U.S.
Why it matters: The Department of Justice alleged last year that the thwarted murder-for-hire plot Nikhil Gupta, 52, participated in was directed by an Indian government employee.
- The plot targeted an attorney who advocated for a Sikh secession state in India, which the Indian government has fiercely opposed for decades, the DOJ claimed.
- The DOJ accusation followed similar allegations by the Canadian government, which claimed that "agents of the Indian" government killed a prominent Sikh community leader on Canadian soil.
- India has denied the allegations.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and arrived in the U.S. on June 14, 2024.
- On Monday, a lawyer for Gupta pleaded not guilty to murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, AP reports. Each charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
What they're saying: Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Monday that Gupta's extradition made clear that the U.S. "will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens.
- "Nikhil Gupta will now face justice in an American courtroom for his involvement in an alleged plot, directed by an employee of the Indian government, to target and assassinate a U.S. citizen for his support of the Sikh separatist movement in India," Garland said.
Zoom in: The Justice Department alleged that the target of the plot Gupta was involved with was a close associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist figure who was killed in June 2023.
- Gupta's involvement in the alleged plot in the U.S. was discovered after he, at the direction of the unidentified Indian government employee, contacted someone he believed was a criminal but was a confidential source working with U.S. law enforcement.
- A day after Nijjar was killed, Gupta told the undercover agent that Nijjar was just one of "so many targets," according to the DOJ.
The big picture: The Indian government's alleged involvement in Nijjar's death led to a major falling out between India and Canada.
- Canada expelled a top Indian diplomat, and India in turn demanded that Canada remove over two-thirds of its diplomats from the country.
Go deeper: U.S. faces "serious threat" of terror attack, expert and former CIA chief warn
