A US federal court has postponed the sentencing of Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty to his role in an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, to November 20.
The 54-year-old Gupta had earlier admitted to attempting to contact a hitman to carry out the killing of Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship.
The US District Court for the Southern District of New York had originally scheduled Gupta’s sentencing for September 25. However, prosecutors sought an adjournment after the “intended murder victim” requested to participate in the sentencing hearing.
Meanwhile, according to a report, Gupta’s sentencing had previously been scheduled for May 29.
While court filings do not name the victim, Pannun’s counsel has publicly identified him as the target of the alleged murder-for-hire plot.
In a letter filed with the court, prosecutors said the unnamed victim “wishes to participate in the sentencing” but would be out of the country on September 25. They therefore asked the court to postpone the hearing.
Judge Victor Marrero granted the request and rescheduled the sentencing for November 20 at 10 am.
Gupta pleaded guilty on February 13 to all three charges against him: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the alleged plot to kill Pannun.
The murder-for-hire charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while the conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charge also carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. The money-laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
The case stems from an alleged 2023 plot to arrange the killing of Pannun in the United States. Gupta’s sentencing is now set for November 20 before Judge Marrero.
(With inputs from PTI)