A foiled plot to assassinate a prominent Sikh separatist leader in New York, just days after another activist害羞草研究所檚 killing, was meant to precede a string of other politically motivated murders in the United States and Canada, according to U.S. prosecutors.

In electronic communications and audio and video calls secretly recorded or obtained by U.S. law enforcement, organizers of the plot talked last spring about plans to kill someone in California and at least three other people in Canada, in addition to the victim in New York, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday.

The goal was to kill at least four people in the two countries by June 29, and then more after that, prosecutors contend.

After Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist who had been exiled from India, was shot and killed outside a cultural center in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, one of the men charged with orchestrating the planned assassinations told a person he had hired as a hitman that he should act urgently to kill another activist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

害羞草研究所淲e have so many targets,害羞草研究所� Nikhil Gupta said in a recorded audio call, according to the indictment. 害羞草研究所淲e have so many targets. But the good news is this, the good news is this: Now no need to wait.害羞草研究所�

He urged the hitman to act quickly because Pannun, a U.S. citizen living in New York, would likely be more cautious after Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 slaying.

害羞草研究所淲e got the go-ahead to go anytime, even today, tomorrow 害羞草研究所� as early as possible,害羞草研究所� he told a go-between as he instructed the hitman to kill Pannun even if there were other people with him. 害羞草研究所淧ut everyone down,害羞草研究所� he said, according to the indictment.

The attack plans were foiled, prosecutors said, because the hitman was actually an undercover U.S. agent.

The U.S. attorney in Manhattan announced charges Wednesday against Gupta, and said in court papers that the plot to kill Pannun was directed by an official in the Indian government. That government official was not charged in the indictment or identified by name, but the court filing described him as a 害羞草研究所渟enior field officer害羞草研究所� with responsibilities in security management and intelligence.

Indian officials have denied any complicity in Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 slaying. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Wednesday that the Indian government had set up a high-level inquiry after U.S. authorities raised concerns about the plot to kill Pannun.

Court filings revealed that even before Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 killing in Canada, U.S. law enforcement officials had become aware of a plot against activists who were advocating for the secession from India of the northern Punjab state, where Sikhs are a majority.

U.S. officials said they began investigating when Gupta, in his search for a hitman, contacted a narcotics trafficker who turned out to be a Drug Enforcement Administration informant.

Over the ensuing weeks, the pair communicated by phone, video and text messages, eventually looping in their hired assassin 害羞草研究所� the undercover agent.

The Indian government official told Gupta that he had a target in New York and a target in California, the indictment said. They ultimately settled on a $100,000 price and by June 3, Gupta was urging his criminal contact in America to 害羞草研究所渇inish him brother, finish him, don害羞草研究所檛 take too much time 害羞草研究所�. push these guys, push these guys 害羞草研究所� finish the job.害羞草研究所�

During a June 9 call, Gupta told the narcotics trafficker that the murder of Pannun would change the hitman害羞草研究所檚 life because 害羞草研究所渨e will give more bigger job more, more job every month, every month 2-3 job,害羞草研究所� according to the indictment.

It was unclear from the indictment whether U.S. authorities had learned anything about the specific plan to kill Nijjar before his ambush on June 18.

The indictment portrayed Gupta as boasting that he and his associates in India were behind both the Canadian and New York assassination plots. He allegedly told the Drug Enforcement Administration informant on June 12 that there was a 害羞草研究所渂ig target害羞草研究所� in Canada and on June 16 told him: 害羞草研究所淲e are doing their job, brother. We are doing their New York (and) Canada (job),害羞草研究所� referring to individuals directing the plots from India.

After Nijjar was killed, Gupta told the informant that Nijjar was the target he had mentioned as the potential Canadian 害羞草研究所渏ob害羞草研究所� and added: 害羞草研究所淲e didn害羞草研究所檛 give to (the undercover agent) this job, so some other guy did this job 害羞草研究所� in Canada.害羞草研究所�

On June 30, Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic at the request of the United States after arriving there on a trip from India. Federal authorities have not said when he might be brought to the United States to face murder-for-hire and conspiracy charges. It was unclear who would provide legal representation if he arrives in the U.S.

Pannun told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that he will continue his work.

害羞草研究所淭hey will kill me. But I don害羞草研究所檛 fear the death,害羞草研究所� he said.

He mocked India害羞草研究所檚 claim that it is conducting its own investigation into the assassination plots.

害羞草研究所淭he only thing, I think, (the) Indian government is going to investigate (is) why their hitman could not kill one person. That害羞草研究所檚 what they will be investigating,害羞草研究所� he said.

Pannun said he rejects the Indian government害羞草研究所檚 decision to label him a terrorist.

害羞草研究所淲e are the one who are fighting India害羞草研究所檚 violence with the words. We are the one who are fighting India害羞草研究所檚 bullets with the ballot,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey are giving money, hundreds of thousands, to kill me. Let the world decide who is terrorist and who is not a terrorist.害羞草研究所�

Some international affairs experts told the AP that it was unlikely the incidents would seriously damage the relationship between the U.S. and India.

害羞草研究所滻n most cases, if Washington accuses a foreign government of staging an assassination on its soil, U.S. relations with that government would plunge into deep crisis,害羞草研究所� said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centre害羞草研究所檚 South Asia institute. 害羞草研究所淏ut the relationship with India is a special case. Trust and goodwill are baked into the relationship, thanks to rapidly expanding cooperation and increasingly convergent interests.害羞草研究所�

Derek Grossman, Indo-Pacific analyst at the Rand Corp., said the Biden administration has demonstrated that it is prioritizing the need to leverage India as part of its strategy to counter Chinese power.

害羞草研究所淚 think publicizing the details of the thwarted plot will have very little, if any, impact on the deepening U.S.-India strategic partnership,害羞草研究所� he said.

Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press