Nikhil Gupta has claimed he acted alone in the alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. In an emotional letter to a US judge, he expressed remorse and asked to turn back the clock.
BY PC Bureau
November 15: Nikhil Gupta, facing sentencing in the United States over an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has expressed deep remorse for his actions, claiming he acted alone and wishing he could undo the decisions that brought him into the case.
In an emotional letter to US District Judge Victor Marrero ahead of his November 20 sentencing, Gupta described the psychological turmoil he experienced following his arrest, his struggles with alcohol and the pain his actions had caused his family.
“I had lost my mind… wish I could turn back time to 2023 and undo my mistakes,” Gupta wrote, reflecting on the state of mind that, he said, had clouded his judgement.
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He also disclosed that he experienced severe suicidal thoughts during the initial period of his incarceration. Much of his distress, he said, stemmed from worrying about the suffering he had caused his wife, children, mother and other family members, as well as his two pet cats.
Gupta recounted his experience in detention, including periods of solitary confinement in the Czech Republic and his subsequent incarceration at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
He said he turned to meditation, yoga and spiritual literature to cope with isolation and what he described as persistent threats of violence from fellow inmates.
One of his biggest concerns during the initial weeks in custody, Gupta wrote, was finding a way to contact his family and reassure them that he was alive. However, restrictions prevented him from communicating with them for several weeks.
“The most serious challenge in front of me at that time was to contact my family and to let them know that I was alive and to make them aware of the situation,” he wrote.
🚨 SENTENCING IN THE PANNUN MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT
Indian terrorist Nikhil Gupta to Be Sentenced in U.S. Court – NOVEMBER 20
TIME: 8:00 AM
Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, New York 🇺🇸
Location 📍: Manhattan
Address: 500 Pearl Street, New York, NY 10007 https://t.co/VkbeKskjnD— Politica Buzz (@PoliticaBuzx7_) November 13, 2026
Nikhil Gupta’s letter comes against the backdrop of a high-profile prosecution in the US over the alleged conspiracy to kill Pannun, a US-based Sikh separatist and advocate of Khalistan.The sentencing hearing on November 20 is expected to draw further attention after federal prosecutors recently sought permission for Pannun to address the court directly for 20 minutes.
Concluding his letter, Gupta said he was prepared to accept whatever sentence the court imposed.
The case has had significant diplomatic implications, with US investigators alleging that Gupta was involved in a conspiracy to arrange Pannun’s assassination. The allegations also brought scrutiny to claims of links between the plot and an individual described by US prosecutors as an Indian government employee.
Nikhil Gupta’s assertion that he acted alone is a key element of his account to the judge and should be distinguished from the broader allegations made by US prosecutors.
