Nikhil Gupta, who has pleaded guilty in a murder-for-hire conspiracy case in the United States, has agreed to forfeit $15,000 in cash and two mobile phones to the US government as part of a consent preliminary order filed in a federal court in New York. The development marks a key procedural step in the ongoing legal proceedings against him in a case that has drawn international attention.

According to court documents signed by US District Judge Victor Marrero on April 23, Gupta consented to a money judgment of $15,000, representing proceeds traceable to the offences outlined in the indictment. Prosecutors said the forfeiture is linked to criminal charges involving murder-for-hire conspiracy, murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Gupta was charged in a superseding indictment in October 2024 covering three counts related to the alleged plot. He later pleaded guilty on February 13, 2026, to all charges. The court filing stated that the forfeiture includes $15,000 in US currency seized in New York in June 2023, as well as two mobile phones—a Vivo Y56 5G and an iPhone 11 Pro Max—both of which were initially seized by Czech authorities before being transferred to US custody.

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Federal prosecutors noted that Gupta is jointly and severally liable with co-defendant Vikash Yadav for the monetary judgment tied to the case. The United States Marshals Service has been authorised to take custody of the forfeited assets and deposit the funds into the Assets Forfeiture Fund. The court also directed the government to publish forfeiture notices for 30 consecutive days and notify any potential third-party claimants.

Authorities further stated that any forfeited assets would be used to satisfy the money judgment against Gupta, with prosecutors permitted to pursue substitute assets if required. The consent order was signed by Assistant US Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Alexander Li, and Ashley C. Nicolas, along with Gupta and his defence counsel, before receiving court approval.

The case has attracted significant attention in both the United States and India due to its alleged links to a planned assassination targeting a Sikh separatist figure in the US. American prosecutors have previously accused Gupta of working in coordination with others in connection with the attempted plot, making the case part of broader concerns over transnational criminal conspiracies and political violence allegations.

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