US court delays sentencing of Indian national in Pannun case
Assassination plot continues to cast shadow over India-US ties
New Delhi : The United States has sought and reportedly obtained a delay in the sentencing of Indian national Nikhil Gupta, who pleaded guilty to his role in a plot to assassinate US-based Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, allowing the intended target to participate in the proceedings.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York asked a federal court to defer Gupta’s September 25 sentencing to November 6 or 20. Prosecutors said Pannun had expressed a desire to participate in the sentencing but would be outside the US on September 25.
The prosecution said the adjournment was sought to facilitate the victim’s statutory right to attend and be heard during the sentencing. Gupta’s defence did not object to the request, according to the court filing. Media reports said the court has since rescheduled Gupta’s sentencing for November 20.
The case stems from confirmation by US prosecutors that Gupta was involved in a murder-for-hire conspiracy targeting Pannun in New York in 2023. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and later extradited to the United States, where he pleaded guilty to his role in the alleged plot.
US prosecutors have maintained that Gupta acted in coordination with others, including Vikash Yadav, whom a US indictment described as an employee of India’s Cabinet Secretariat. The Indian government has not accepted the allegations against its officials.
The case has had significant diplomatic ramifications for India-US relations and has raised questions over alleged transnational targeting of Sikh activists.
Earlier US court filings also referred to the killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June 2023. Prosecutors said that Gupta had discussed Nijjar with an undercover US officer following the killing.
The latest US court filing, however, contains no new allegations against Gupta and concerns only the timing of his sentencing and Pannun’s request to participate in the proceedings. The case remains under close international scrutiny amid continuing concerns over allegations of extraterritorial targeting of political opponents and activists.
