U.S. federal prosecutors have urged a New York judge to sentence Indian national Nikhil Gupta to 293 months—just over 24 years—in prison for his role in a foiled murder-for-hire plot against pro-Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
Ahead of Gupta’s scheduled sentencing on November 20, prosecutors filed a November 13 court submission describing his conduct as “brutal” and “brazen,” arguing that a severe sentence is necessary to deter foreign plots targeting U.S. citizens.
Gupta pleaded guilty in February to murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy charges.
Conversely, Gupta’s defence attorneys pushed for a lighter 144-month (12-year) sentence recommended by the Probation Department. They argued that Gupta, who has no prior criminal record, acted under coercion from alleged Indian intelligence official Vikash Yadav, who supposedly leveraged a fabricated criminal case in India against him.
In a letter to Judge Victor Marrero, the 55-year-old expressed deep remorse, blaming his actions on severe alcoholism in early 2023.
Prosecutors dismissed the intoxication defence as an “absurd claim,” noting Gupta worked deliberately across time zones for weeks, motivated by promised profits from weapons and drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, Pannun—designated an individual terrorist by India—submitted a victim impact statement demanding the maximum sentence after living under heavy security for 1,200 days. While New Delhi has denied state involvement, a high-level Indian inquiry committee previously recommended legal action against an individual linked to the case.
