'Unwarranted': India reacts to US court summon over 'plot' to kill Pannun

A US court has summoned the Indian government following Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's lawsuit alleging an assassination plot against him, a charge that has been denied by the Centre

A court in the United States on Thursday issued summons to the Indian government in response to a civil lawsuit filed by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, which alleges an assassination plot against him.

The external affairs ministry has labelled the lawsuit as "completely unwarranted."

"When these issues were first brought to our attention, we took action. There's a high-level committee engaged (in this matter)...," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

The US District Court for the Southern District of New York has issued the summons, in which the Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) Chief Samant Goel have been named. Additionally, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta have also been named and are required to file a response within 21 days. The Centre has not yet reacted to the development.

Pannu shared a copy of the summons on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, which has been withheld in India. Pannun holds US and Canadian citizenships.

What is the Pannun assassination case about?

The issue over India’s alleged attempt to assassinate Pannun, a designated terrorist, has been a thorn in the India-US diplomatic ties. In November 2023, the US Justice Department had slapped Gupta, an Indian national, with murder-for-hire charges, alleging his involvement in a plot to assassinate the ‘Sikhs for Justice’ organisation leader.

In June, Gupta pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was arrested from the Czech Republic last year and later extradited to the US  at the request of the US government in connection with the case.

US prosecutors allege that Gupta was acting under the direction of an unnamed Indian government official, a claim that India has denied. The Centre had also announced that an inquiry had been initiated to investigate the allegations and look into the evidence shared by the US.

In April, The Washington Post had reported that Vikram Yadav, a R&AW officer, was the Indian official behind the plot and that former R&AW Chief Goel had sanctioned the operation.

The report had been dismissed by India as making "unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations.”

The development comes two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the US for the annual Quad summit, being hosted by President Joe Biden. Modi will be in the US from September 21-23.