New court documents have revealed shocking details about an alleged plot to assassinate a Canadian pro-Khalistan activist. The documents suggest that a senior Indian intelligence officer recruited a businessman for this purpose.
The businessman, Nikhil Gupta, is an Indian national with ties to drugs and weapons trafficking. He reportedly confessed during a meeting in New Delhi that he was asked to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun is a lawyer who holds Canadian and U.S. citizenship and leads Sikhs For Justice, a group advocating for Khalistan—a proposed independent state for Sikhs in India.
This incident is linked to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a close associate of Pannun, who was shot outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. Canada has accused India of being involved in Nijjar’s killing, raising serious concerns about sovereignty and safety for activists in Canada.
The court documents state that Gupta was arrested at Prague airport on June 30, 2023. After his arrest, he admitted to plotting Pannun’s murder. He revealed that the conspiracy began when he returned to India from Uzbekistan and learned about upcoming court charges against him. Shortly after, he was contacted by a man known as Amanat, who claimed he could help clear Gupta’s name.
Gupta and Amanat met in New Delhi, where Amanat allegedly solicited Gupta to arrange the murder of Pannun in New York City. It is believed that Amanat is Vikash Yadav, an officer in India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. Yadav reportedly provided Gupta with Pannun’s personal information and arranged for $15,000 to be delivered for the hit.
After agreeing to the plot, Gupta allegedly hired a hitman, believing he was a Colombian cocaine supplier. However, this individual was actually a confidential source working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Gupta discussed paying this source $100,000 to carry out the murder and even mentioned targeting additional individuals in Canada.
The plot was still being planned when Nijjar was killed. The day after Nijjar’s murder, Gupta showed an undercover agent a video of the shooting and identified Nijjar as the target he had previously mentioned. Gupta expressed urgency for Pannun’s murder, disregarding potential harm to civilians or political fallout.
Czech police arrested Gupta before the plan could be executed. During his arrest, he cooperated with authorities and provided information about Amanat. Gupta has since been extradited to the U.S. to face charges related to the assassination plot. His lawyers are seeking to suppress some evidence and dismiss one of the charges against him.
The U.S. has also indicted Yadav for conspiracy to commit murder, but he remains at large and is on the FBI’s most wanted list. Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has not officially named those responsible for Nijjar’s murder, but they suspect Indian government agents were involved.
This situation highlights the growing concern over foreign governments allegedly using criminal networks to target dissidents abroad. Pannun has spoken out, claiming that India is trying to distance itself from these killings by using such methods.