Gupta was arrested in Prague on 30 June 2023 and extradited to the US in June 2024. He is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Indian national Nikhil Gupta remains in Brooklyn detention as his U.S. trial for a murder-for-hire plot is postponed to February 2026 (Photo: File)
NEW DELHI: The federal trial of Nikhil Gupta, the Indian national accused in the United States of participating in an alleged murder-for-hire plot to eliminate Khalistani operative Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, is now unlikely to begin before 17 February 2026, according to a joint letter filed in court on 11 November. In the filing, prosecutors and Gupta's newly appointed defence lawyer informed Judge Victor Marrero that additional preparation time was required, making mid-February the earliest realistic start for the proceedings.
Gupta was arrested in Prague on 30 June 2023 and extradited to the United States in June the following year. He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrival. If the trial begins on the proposed schedule, it will start nearly two and a half years after his arrest—a long but not unprecedented interval in a case involving extradition, multiple jurisdictions, and a late change of counsel.
Prosecutors allege that Gupta acted as an intermediary for an Indian government employee—initially identified as "CC-1" and later named in a superseding indictment as Vikash Yadav—to arrange the assassination of a U.S. citizen and Sikh separatist activist. According to the U.S. government, Gupta shared personal information about the intended target and conveyed payment arrangements to individuals he believed were criminal associates but who were, in fact, a confidential source and an undercover law-enforcement officer. Gupta denies any wrongdoing.
The delay in trial scheduling follows a change in legal representation. At a court conference on 21 October, Judge Marrero approved Gupta's request for new counsel. His new attorney, David Touger, told the court he could not be ready for a January trial and asked that proceedings not begin before 17 February. Prosecutors informed the court they were available throughout January, except for a brief period at the end of the month.
People familiar with the matter offer differing explanations for the pace of the proceedings. One source said the U.S. Department of Justice has "not been pressing aggressively for an early trial date," interpreting this posture as a sign that prosecutors "may not believe the case is as strong as it was initially presented". According to this individual, a government with overwhelming evidence typically pushes for a quicker trial calendar.
A second source with knowledge of the investigation disputed that view, noting that prosecutors possess "a substantial volume of material, including audio and video recordings, electronic communications, and a detailed financial trail". This source argued that the timeline reflects the normal demands of a complex international case rather than prosecutorial hesitation.
Gupta's prolonged detention has been difficult for his family in Delhi, who have not seen him since his departure for Prague. Contact is limited to monitored telephone calls from the detention facility, which his family describes as brief and frequently interrupted.
