U.S. indictment on alleged Sikh assassination plot makes link to Nijjar murder
Global News
An Indian national is facing murder-for-hire charges in the case of what American law enforcement call a foiled assassination attempt of an American-Canadian Sikh man.
An Indian national is facing murder-for-hire charges in a case of what American law enforcement are calling an attempt “to assassinate a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil,” with an alleged connection to an employee of the Indian government.
The indictment, made public on Wednesday, links an alleged employee of the Indian government, identified in Department of Justice documents as CC-1, to the June 18, 2023, murder of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C.
Nikhil “Nick” Gupta, age 52, was arrested in the Czech Republic at the request of American authorities on June 30, 2023, and extradited to the United States, the documents state.
According to the indictment, Gupta was allegedly sought out by an employee of the Indian government, identified as CC-1 in the indictment, in May, 2023, to orchestrate the attempted assassination of an unnamed target. The target is described as “a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India.”
It’s alleged CC-1 offered to help Gupta secure the dismissal of a criminal case against him in India.
“I am grateful that my Office and our law enforcement partners neutralized this deadly and outrageous threat. We will not tolerate efforts to assassinate U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, and stand ready to investigate, thwart, and prosecute anyone who seeks to harm and silence Americans here or abroad,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
At CC-1’s direction, Gupta allegedly contacted an individual he believed to be a criminal associate in New York City that could help him contract a hitman, according to the indictment.
U.S. officials said talks in Berlin led to narrowing differences on security guarantees that Kyiv said must be provided, as well as on Moscow’s demand that Ukraine concede land.
Ahmed Al Ahmed jeopardized his life when he tackled one of two alleged shooters to the ground and seized his gun during Sunday’s attack on a Jewish gathering on Bondi Beach.
'They passed directly in our flight path.... They don’t have their transponder turned on. It’s outrageous,' the JetBlue pilot said in a conversation with air traffic control.
At least 11 people were shot and killed on Sunday during a Jewish holiday celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Australian authorities said, declaring it a terrorist attack.
The victim was walking about 200 metres ahead of a friend near an area known as the '560-meter rocky peak,' when the friend heard a cry for help.
Thomas Plamberger and his girlfriend, Kerstin Gurtner, were attempting to scale Austria's tallest mountain in the middle of winter, despite her inexperience.
The Canadian economy achieved a trade surplus for the first time since the trade war began, as exports rebounded and imports fell in September, according to Statistics Canada.
The development has frustrated deportations of foreign nationals accused of fuelling B.C.'s extortion boom.
The NHL says if the ice rinks for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics aren't to standards by game time, its players will not be attending the games.
Sixty-seven fertility clinics used the donor's sperm in 14 different countries.
The CBSA was responding to an officer who said the agency abandoned him amid an Indian disinformation campaign.
Trump's interview with Politico focused in part on a new national security strategy that sharply criticizes European allies and warns against NATO expansion.
Zelenskyy continued shoring up European support for Ukraine's position in peace negotiations, meeting with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in Rome and Pope Leo outside the city.