US court verdict in Pannun murder-for-hire plot on Nov 20

A US federal court has deferred the sentencing of Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty to plotting the assassination of Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, to November 20.

The federal court for the Southern District of New York had originally scheduled Gupta's sentencing for September 25 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 US District Court for the Southern District of New York, prosecutors stated the unnamed victim "wishes to participate in the sentencing" and requested the September 25 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 November 20 at 10 am.

On February 13, 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, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire attracts a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and conspiracy to commit money laundering carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and extradited to the US a year later.