'Nijjar Was a Target': Does US Disclosure on 'Indian Officer' Vindicate Canada?

Nikhil Gupta, Indian national charged for plotting to kill GS Pannu, made important disclosures on Nijjar's murder.

Canada has accused Indian government agents of being involved in the killing of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

(Photo: X/Altered by The Quint)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was quick to respond to the the US Justice Department's indictment of Indian national Nikhil Gupta for allegedly plotting to assassinate pro-Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in New York.

"The news coming out of the United States further underscores what we've been talking about from the very beginning, which is that India needs to take this seriously."

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

Trudeau's prompt response isn't surprising as the case in the US may have come as a vindication for Canada in its stand-off with India over the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In September, PM Justin Trudeau had accused agents associated with the Indian state of being behind the assassination of Nijjar, a Canadian national, in June 2023. Both Nijjar and Pannun are part of the organisation Sikhs for Justice that has been demanding the creation of a separate state of Khalistan.

India had rejected Trudeau's allegations, calling them "politically motivated".

However, the indictment against Gupta, has several references to Nijjar's killing. The US justice department has accused Gupta of plotting to assassinate Pannun at the behest of an Indian government official codenamed "CC-1".

The indictment has been filed by Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The indictment says that Gupta paid a person to help him find a killer-for-hire for assassinating Pannun. The said person was actually a confidential source for the US' Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the hitman he introduced to Gupta was an undercover DEA officer.

According to the indictment, Gupta told both these individuals about his role in Nijjar's killing.

Here's what the indictment says regarding Nijjar's killing.

(The indictment uses UC for the undercover DEA officer, CS for the confidential source, CC-1, the alleged Indian official who was giving orders to Gupta, and "Victim" for Pannun).

'Big Target in Canada'

The indictment says:

• "On or about June 12, 2023, on a call with the CS, GUPTA stated that there was a 'big target' in Canada. A few days later, on or about June 14, 2023, GUPTA messaged the CS that "we will be needing one good team in Canada also, [t]omorrow I will share you the details".

• The following day, on or about June 15, 2023, GUPTA advised the CS by phone that GUPTA was still "waiting [for] the details" about the Canadian target.

• On or about June 16, 2023, on another call with the CS, GUPTA told the CS that "we are doing their job, brother. We are doing their New York [and] Canada job]," referring to the individuals directing the targeting plots from India"

CC-1 Sends Gupta a Video Clip of Nijjar's Body After the Murder

Alleged conversation between CC-1 and Gupta:

• :...just hours after the Nijjar murder, CC-1 sent GUPTA a video clip that showed Nijjar's bloody body slumped in his vehicle. About an hour later, CC-1 sent GUPTA the street address of the Victim's residence in New York City.

• GUPTA replied that he wished he had personally conducted the killing and asked CC-1 for permission to "go to the field."

• CC-1 responded that "secrecy [is] important," and "(i]t's better you do not get involved in action." Approximately one hour later, CC-1 sent GUPTA the street address of the Victim's residence in New York City."

Alleged Conversation between Gupta and UC:

• On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, GUPTA told the UC that Nijjar "was also the target" and "we have so many targets".

• Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar's murder, there was "now no need to wait" on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, CC-1 sent GUPTA a news article about the

• Victim and messaged GUPTA, " [i]t's [a] priority now."

'Nijjar Was the Target'

• GUPTA forwarded the video clip showing Nijjar's bloody body to the CS and the UC minutes after receiving it from CC-1. Soon after, on or about June 19, 2023, GUPTA spoke with the UC by audio call, and GUPTA told the UC that Nijjar "was also the target" but that Nijjarwas "#4, #3" on the list, and "not to worry [because] we have so many targets, we have so many targets. But the good news is this, the good news is this: now no need to wait."

• Separately, GUPTA also held an audio call with the CS, during which GUPTA confirmed that Nijjar was the target that GUPTA had previously mentioned as the potential Canadian "job" stating: "This is the guy, I send you the video .... We didn't give to [the UC] this job, so some other guy did this job ... in Canada."

"Put Everyone Down, Put Everyone Down"

After the Nijjar murder in Canada, GUPTA demanded rapid updates from the UC on the progress of the plot to murder the Victim, which GUPTA then reported to CC-1. GUPTA simultaneously relayed intelligence on the Victim's whereabouts from CC-1 to the UC.

In a change from his prior instruction to delay killing the Victim until after the scheduled, engagements between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials, GUPTA told the CS that the UC should kill the Victim as soon as possible, informing the CS that "we got the go-ahead to go anytime, even today, tomorrow- as early as possible. [The UC] has to finish this job, brother."

Gupta told the confidential source that Gurpatwant Pannu had become more cautious after Hardeep Singh Nijjar's assassination.

GUPTA also told the CS to expect the Victim to+ be more careful in the wake of the Nijjar murder: "He will be more cautious, because in Canada, his colleague is down. His colleague is down. I sent you the video. So he will be more cautious, so we should not give them the chance, any chance....GUPTA added: "If he is not alone, [if] there are two guys with him in the meeting or something...put everyone down, put everyone down."

What Does this Mean in the Context of the Nijjar Case?

The above sections are an exhaustive compilation of what has been said regarding Nijjar in the indictment.

It must be remembered that the indictment is regarding the alleged assassination attempt on Pannun and not Nijjar's killing. Therefore Nijjar's killing appears mainly as part of Gupta's conversations with the confidential DEA source and the undercover officer.

How credible this is would eventually depend on the extent to which Gupta's collusion with Indian officials gets established.

The proof or the lack of it regarding India's alleged involvement in Nijjar's killing would be clear only when the evidence is presented when the case comes up in a court in Canada.