Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, May 7: Nikhil Gupta, who earlier pleaded guilty in a high-profile murder-for-hire conspiracy case in the United States, has agreed to surrender $15,000 in cash along with two mobile phones to the US government under a federal court order issued in New York.
According to court documents signed by US District Judge Victor Marrero on April 23, Gupta consented to a forfeiture money judgment of $15,000, which prosecutors said represented proceeds connected to the offences listed in the indictment.
Gupta had been charged in a three-count superseding indictment filed in October 2024. The charges included conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The filing states that Gupta pleaded guilty to all three charges on February 13, 2026.
The forfeited assets include $15,000 in US currency seized in New York near East 27th Street and 11th Avenue on June 9, 2023. Authorities also confiscated an iPhone 11 Pro Max and a Vivo Y56 5G, both of which were seized by Czech law enforcement officials in the Czech Republic in June 2023 before being transferred to US authorities.
Federal prosecutors said the seized assets were connected to the criminal activities outlined in the indictment. Court records further noted that Gupta shares financial liability related to the forfeiture judgment with co-defendant Vikash Yadav, depending on the outcome of proceedings against him.
The court authorised the United States Marshals Service to take control of the forfeited assets and deposit the funds into the federal Assets Forfeiture Fund.
The order also instructed the government to publish public notices regarding the forfeiture for at least 30 consecutive days and notify any third parties who may claim an interest in the property.
Additionally, prosecutors were granted permission to seek substitute assets if the full forfeiture amount is not recovered.
The agreement was signed by Assistant US Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Alexander Li, and Ashley C. Nicolas, along with Gupta and his defence lawyers, before receiving final court approval.
The case has attracted international attention in both the United States and India because it involves allegations connected to an alleged plot targeting a Sikh separatist figure based in America. US authorities have previously alleged that Gupta was involved in coordinating the planned killing with others.