Overview
- Gupta, 54, admitted in Manhattan federal court to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money laundering, avoiding a trial that could have carried up to 40 years in prison.
- U.S. authorities say the plot unraveled in a DEA/FBI sting after Gupta negotiated a $100,000 fee, delivered a $15,000 advance, and shared the target’s address, phone numbers, routines, and surveillance photos with an undercover agent.
- Sentencing is set for May 29, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, with prosecutors recommending roughly 21 to 24 years under federal guidelines.
- Court filings identify co-defendant Vikash Yadav, described as linked to India’s Cabinet Secretariat, as the handler who directed the operation; he remains in India and is charged but not in U.S. custody.
- Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, extradited in 2024, and allegedly told the undercover officer to delay the hit during the Indian prime minister’s June 2023 U.S. visit, later saying there was no need to wait after Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in Canada.