Nikhil Gupta Agrees to Forfeit Cash, Phones in U.S. Murder-for-Hire Case
WASHINGTON — Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty earlier this year in a U.S. murder-for-hire conspiracy case, has agreed to forfeit $15,000 in cash and two mobile phones to the U.S. government under a consent preliminary order filed in federal court in New York.
The order, signed April 23 by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, said Gupta consented to a $15,000 money judgment “representing the amount of proceeds traceable to the offences charged” in the indictment.
Gupta was charged in a three-count superseding indictment in October 2024 with murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the filing, he pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2026, to all three counts.
The forfeiture order listed the assets surrendered by Gupta, including $15,000 in U.S. currency seized “in the vicinity of East 27th Street and 11th Avenue, in New York” on or about June 9, 2023.
The order also covered an iPhone 11 Pro Max and a Vivo Y56 5G cellphone. Both devices were seized by Czech law enforcement authorities in the Czech Republic on or about June 30, 2023, before being transferred to U.S. custody.
Federal prosecutors said the forfeiture was tied to proceeds and property involved in the offenses charged in all three counts of the indictment. The filing also said Gupta was “jointly and severally liable” with co-defendant Vikash Yadav for the money judgment, to the extent a forfeiture money judgment is entered against Yadav.
The court authorized the U.S. Marshals Service to take possession of the forfeited property and deposit payments into the Assets Forfeiture Fund.
The court also directed the government to publish forfeiture notices for at least 30 consecutive days on the federal forfeiture website and notify any potential third-party claimants.
Any forfeited property will be applied toward the satisfaction of the money judgment against Gupta. Prosecutors were also authorized to seek forfeiture of substitute assets up to the uncollected amount of the judgment, if necessary.
The consent order was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Alexander Li and Ashley C. Nicolas on behalf of the government. Gupta and his defense lawyers also signed the agreement before it was approved by the court.
The case has drawn attention in Washington and New Delhi because it involved allegations tied to an alleged plot targeting a Sikh separatist figure in the United States. U.S. authorities previously accused Gupta of working with others in connection with the planned killing. (Source: IANS)
