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Journalism of Courage
The United States’ federal prosecutors have alleged the involvement of two Indian nationals, including a government employee, in a plot to murder Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen, on US soil.
The explosive allegations were made in a now-unsealed indictment against a certain Nikhil ‘Nick’ Gupta, filed by the Department of Justice (DoJ) in New York’s Southern District.
We went through the 15-page document to construct a detailed timeline.
The dramatis personae
The unsealed indictment mentions five persons, although it names only one. They are:
A chronology
Early May, 2023
In a series of communications via encrypted applications, CC-1 asks Gupta to arrange the murder of the Victim in exchange for CC-1’s assistance in securing the dismissal of a criminal case against Gupta in India. Gupta agrees, and meets CC-1 in New Delhi.
May 06
CC-1 messages Gupta that he had a “target in New York” and another in “California.” Gupta replies: “’We will hit our all Targets.”
May 12
CC-1 notifies Gupta that his criminal case “has already been taken care of,” and that “nobody from Gujarat police is calling.”
May 23
CC-1 again assures Gupta that he had “spoke[n] with the boss about your Gujarat [case],” and that it was “all clear,” and “nobody will ever bother you again.” CC-1 further offers to arrange a meeting between Gupta and a “DCP” (Deputy Commissioner of Police).
May 29
Following CC-1’s assurances, Gupta presses forward with the plot. He contacts CS by phone to ask if CS knew anyone who would be “willing to carry out a murder-for-hire in the United States.” He says that the intended victim is “a lawyer who split time between New York City and another US city” and provides details about him.
In response, CS asks Gupta for additional information about the Victim and details about payment for the murder. Gupta forwards screenshots of these texts to CC-1 to which CC-1 responds: “we are ready to pay $150000 … the offer will go higher depending upon the quality of the work … and if it’s done as soon as possible.”
CS requests $ 100,000 for the job.
June 1
CC-1 sends Gupta the street address for the Victim’s home in New York City, which CC-1 describes as “the locality of [the Victim’s] House.”
June 2
CC-1 asks for an update, stating that “[i]t’s important and [there is] less time.” Gupta asks for a day’s time to get back.
June 3
Gupta speaks with CS by audio call, and urges CS to have his associates carry out the murder soon, stating: “finish him brother, finish him, don’t take too much time … push these guys, push these guys … finish the job.” Gupta then messages CC-1 saying that he “spoke with the NY group” and “told them they have to discharge [the Victim] as soon as possible.”
June 4
CS sends Gupta a purported surveillance photograph of the Victim as proof that he is being monitored by CS’s associates. He says that the Victim would be killed as soon as an advance payment of $25,000 was paid.
June 5
Gupta sends this photo and a screenshot of the CS’s messages to CC-1. He asks CC-1 to “check with [his] NY dealer if he can arrange the 25k [payment] there.”
June 6
Gupta specifically instructs CS not to carry out the assassination during anticipated engagements between high level government officials from the United States and India later that month. He explains that there could be protests in the wake of the Victim’s death, which could lead to “political things.”
Gupta also asks CS to put him directly in touch with his New York associates who would receive the advance and carry out the murder. In response, CS introduces Gupta through electronic messages to UC.
Gupta sends screenshots to CC-1 of his messages with CS discussing the advance payment and introducing the UC. CC-1 replied “Ok bhaiji.”
June 7
Gupta messages CC-1 that his associate did not have the funds available in New York to make the advance payment, and asked that CC-1 check with his contact.
June 9
CC-1 messages Gupta that the “payment will be made today positively,” and says “let’s get it done by this weekend,” referring to the murder of the Victim.
Two hours after CC-1’s messages, Gupta calls UC and tells him an individual will deliver the “parcel” (referring to an advance payment of $15,000) to him in New York. This individual meets UC in Manhattan where the exchange takes place in UC’s car.
June 11
After receiving from Gupta additional purported surveillance photographs of the Victim, CC-I tells Gupta: “It looks promising .. but we have today only … if it doesn’t happen today it will be done after 24th,” that is, after the high-profile visit by the Indian prime minister to Washington DC from June 21 to 23.
June 12
Gupta video calls UC, and turns the camera to three other men in the room with him. “We are all counting on you,” Gupta says.
The same day, in a call with CS, Gupta states that there was a “big target” in Canada.
June 14
Gupta messages CS that “we will be needing one good team in Canada also.”
June 18
Masked gunmen murder Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an associate of the Victim and fellow Khalistani separatist, outside a gurdwara in British Columbia, Canada.
CC-1 sends Gupta a video clip showing Nijjar’s bloody body slumped in his vehicle. Gupta forwards this video to both CS and UC.
Approximately one hour later, CC-1 sends Gupta the street address of the Victim’s residence in New York City.
June 19
Gupta tells UC, on audio call, that Nijjar “was also the target” and that “we have so many targets, we have so many targets.”
He also speaks to CS, confirming that Nijjar was the target that Gupta had previously mentioned as the potential Canadian “job”. “We didn’t give to [UC] this job, so some other guy did this job … in Canada,” he says.
In a change from his previous plans, Gupta tells CS to expedite the murder, regardless of the Indian prime minister’s trip. “we got the go-ahead to go anytime, even today, tomorrow — as early as possible. [The UC] has to finish this job, brother,” Gupta says.
He also warns CS that the Victim is more likely to be cautious, now that his “colleague is down.” “If he is not alone… put everyone down,” Gupta says.
June 20
CC-1 sends a news article about the Victim to Gupta, and messages: “It’s [a] priority now.”
Gupta calls CS and says: “[by] the 29th [of June] we have to finish four jobs,” i.e., the Victim and, after that, “three in Canada.”
June 22
CC-1 messages Gupta that the Victim is not at home. Gupta immediately attempts to call UC. When the call goes unanswered, he messages UC that the Victim “is not at home according to our sources … [m]ake sure of his presence before entering inside.” This is part of a pattern of increased urgency shown by Gupta and CC-1 after the Nijjar murder.
June 25
UC sends Gupta a series of photographs of the vicinity of the Victim’s residence and neighbourhood, which bore GPS coordinate stamps. Gupta forwards these to CC-1.
June 26
CC-1 replies: “Excellent … [t]he coming 24 hours will be crucial,” with the Victim ” definitely either [at] home or office.” Gupta relays this information to UC, directing him to “keep eyes at his house, his office and the cafe he used to visit.”
June 29
Gupta messages UC that “[w]e have the Intel that the [Victim] … has arrived back to his home” and “[t]oday he should come out definitely.” Gupta instructs the UC to carry out the murder, stating: “[t]ry to get this done if you have the visuals and if you are sure.”
June 30
Gupta travels from India to the Czech Republic, for reasons still unclear. Upon his arrival, Gupta is arrested by Czech law enforcement authorities at the request of the United States, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the two countries.
Nick Gupta Indictment by Express Web on Scribd
NOTE: This timeline is based on allegations made by the US DoJ in the indictment unsealed yesterday. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
