Ajit Doval Summoned by US Court Over Alleged Plot to Kill Khalistani Terrorist Pannun

New Delhi: A US court has summoned the Indian government and several top officials following a civil lawsuit filed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel for the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice. Pannun has sued the Indian government, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, and others in a US federal court, seeking damages for an alleged assassination attempt on him last year in the United States.

The summons were issued to the Government of India, NSA Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and businessman Nikhil Gupta. They are required to respond within 21 days. So far, the Central Government has not responded to the summons.

Pannun, who shared a copy of the summons on his X (formerly Twitter) account, has since had the post withheld.

In November, the Financial Times reported that US authorities had thwarted a plot to assassinate Pannun, who holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada. The Joe Biden administration later confirmed this. Pannun heads the Sikhs for Justice group, which pushes for the creation of Khalistan, a separate Sikh state.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed concern over the lawsuit. Former MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said that this is also contrary to government policy."

In May, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar acknowledged that India is looking into the matter but assured that it would not affect the growing ties between India and the US. He told PTI, "The United States brought to our attention certain information in good faith... we are investigating it. But I do not think the fundamental course of the upward trajectory of India-US ties is impacted by this at all."

Pannun, who was designated a terrorist by India in 2020, is known for making inflammatory statements and issuing threats against Indian leaders and institutions.

This is a developing story