Washington: A US federal court has rescheduled the sentencing of Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty to plotting the assassination of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, to 20 November.
The US District Court for the Southern District of New York had originally scheduled Gupta's sentencing for 25 September but delayed the hearing following a request from the “intended murder victim”.
While court filings do not name the victim, Pannun's counsel has publicly identified himself as the target of the alleged murder-for-hire plot.
In a letter filed before the court, prosecutors stated the unnamed victim “wishes to participate in the sentencing” and requested the 25 September hearing be adjourned because he would be out of the country at that time.
Judge Victor Marrero granted the request, rescheduling Gupta’s sentencing to 20 November at 10 a.m.
On 13 February , Gupta pleaded guilty to all three counts: murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with the plot to kill Pannun.
The charge of murder-for-hire carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire also carries a maximum sentence of 10 years and conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on 30 June 2023, and extradited to the US a year later.