Pannun Assassination Plot: US Seeks 24-Year Jail Term For Nikhil Gupta
Defence Seeks 12-Year Sentence In Alleged Plot To Assassinate Pannun; Sentencing Scheduled For November 20
US federal prosecutors have urged a court in New York to sentence Indian national Nikhil Gupta to 293 months, or just over 24 years, in prison for his role in an alleged plot to assassinate pro-Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
The sentencing request comes ahead of Gupta's scheduled appearance before the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on November 20. In a sentencing memorandum filed on November 13, prosecutors described Gupta's alleged conduct as "brutal" and "brazen", arguing that a severe sentence was necessary to deter foreign plots targeting US citizens.
Gupta pleaded guilty in February to charges of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His lawyers, however, have sought a substantially lighter sentence of 144 months, or 12 years, backing the recommendation of the court's Probation Department.
The defence argued that Gupta had no previous criminal record and had acted under coercion from alleged Indian intelligence official Vikash Yadav. They claimed Yadav had threatened him with a fabricated criminal case in India. In a letter to US District Judge Victor Marrero, the 55-year-old Gupta expressed remorse and attributed his actions to severe alcoholism in early 2023.
Prosecutors rejected the defence's argument, calling his claim that intoxication influenced his actions an "absurd" one. They said Gupta had worked deliberately across time zones for weeks to execute the alleged plot and was motivated by the promise of profits from weapons and drug trafficking.
Pannun, who was designated an individual terrorist by India, has submitted a victim impact statement seeking the maximum sentence. He said he had lived under heavy security for 1,200 days following the alleged assassination plot.
India has denied any involvement of the government in the conspiracy. A high-level inquiry committee set up by New Delhi had recommended legal action against an individual linked to the case. Gupta is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20.
