Now Reading: US court delays Gupta sentencing as Pannun seeks to speak
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US court delays Gupta sentencing as Pannun seeks to speak
A US federal court has postponed the sentencing of Indian national Nikhil Gupta in the murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to November 20. The sentencing was originally set for…
The Story in Brief
A US federal court has postponed the sentencing of Indian national Nikhil Gupta in the murder-for-hire plot against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to November 20. The sentencing was originally set for September 25. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York requested the delay because the unnamed victim, identified by his lawyer as Pannun, wants to attend and speak at the hearing and will not be in the US on the original date.
Gupta pleaded guilty in February to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the US. Prosecutors say Gupta was recruited by Vikash Yadav, an Indian government official, to arrange a $100,000 payment to a hitman who turned out to be an undercover federal agent.
The Indian Opinion
This case is being spun as a test of India-US relations, but the court is simply following standard procedure for victims' rights. The real narrative to watch is how the US Department of Justice handles the separate allegations against Lawrence Bishnoi and the Nijjar murder. The question remains: will the November 20 hearing produce evidence linking these plots, or will they remain isolated cases?
Sources (2): timesnownews.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
