A US federal court delays the sentencing of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty in a case involving a plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The court for the Southern District of New York reschedules Gupta’s sentencing hearing from September 25 to November 20 at 10 a.m.
According to court filings referenced by outlets, prosecutors state that the intended murder victim asked to participate in the sentencing and would be out of the country on the original date. While filings do not name the victim, Pannun’s counsel has publicly identified himself as the target of the alleged murder-for-hire plan. Judge Victor Marrero grants the adjournment after the request.
Gupta pleaded guilty in February to three counts: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering related to the plot. Outlets also note his arrest in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and subsequent extradition to the United States a year later. The reports describe the statutory maximum penalties for the charges.
