A US federal court has postponed the sentencing of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty to his role in a failed plot to assassinate US-based Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The sentencing, initially scheduled for 25 September, has now been deferred to 20 November.
The delay followed a request linked to Pannun, who has been identified in court proceedings as the intended victim of the alleged murder-for-hire scheme. Pannun’s legal representatives have indicated that he wants to participate in the sentencing hearing.
Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty in February to three federal charges: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The US Department of Justice said the charges stemmed from his efforts to arrange the killing of a US citizen in New York.
According to US prosecutors, Gupta attempted to find a contract killer for the planned attack but was instead dealing with people cooperating with US law enforcement. The alleged plot was subsequently disrupted.
The case has attracted considerable international attention because of allegations concerning links to an Indian government employee. US prosecutors have alleged that Gupta acted at the direction of Vikash Yadav, whom court documents have described as a former Indian government employee. India has rejected any suggestion that the alleged operation represented official government policy.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in 2023 and was extradited to the United States in 2024 to face prosecution.
His guilty plea means the forthcoming hearing will focus on sentencing rather than a trial over the underlying charges. The US Justice Department said the offences to which Gupta pleaded guilty carry substantial potential prison terms, with the money-laundering conspiracy carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The November hearing is therefore expected to be closely watched, particularly because it could bring further attention to the circumstances surrounding the alleged plot and the competing claims about the individuals and organisations involved.
The case remains politically sensitive for both Washington and New Delhi, with the allegations having previously added another layer of tension to relations between India and Western governments over the activities of Sikh separatists abroad.
For now, however, the next significant development will come on 20 November, when the US court is scheduled to sentence Gupta.
This is a web generated news report
