US agents blocked Pannun's bid to summon NSA Doval in assassination case

A US court ruled that Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's hired process servers failed to successfully deliver court summons to India's NSA Ajit Doval, dismissing his claim

A United States court has ruled that the delivery of summons to National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval was not successfully completed during his visit to Washington, DC, in February, according to a report by The Times of India. The ruling refutes claims made by Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who had asserted that the summons was delivered to the senior Indian official.

 

The court responded to a letter from Pannun’s lawyer detailing how US Secret Service agents guarding Blair House—the President’s guest residence where the Indian delegation was staying—threatened to arrest a process server who attempted to leave the notice on the ground outside. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US on February 12-13, Doval was part of the official delegation. The summons was ultimately left at a nearby Starbucks, which the court deemed insufficient.

 

 

A judge from the Southern District of New York reviewed the letter and noted that the complaint had not been delivered to a hotel staff member, management, or security personnel, as required by the court’s order. The Indian government had earlier contended that Doval had never been served the summons. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri dismissed the claims, calling them “completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations.”

 

Pannun files civil suit alleging assassination plot

 

The summons, issued by a US court in September 2024, was linked to a civil lawsuit filed by Pannun concerning an alleged plot to assassinate him. American authorities had previously accused an Indian government operative, identified as Vikash Yadav, of involvement in the conspiracy. In response, India conducted an internal investigation, recommending legal action against Yadav. Additionally, Indian national Nikhil Gupta remains in US custody over alleged links to the case, with his trial scheduled for November 2025.

 

US Secret Service blocks delivery of court summons

 

Pannun reportedly hired two process servers and an investigator to serve Doval in Washington, DC, during his two-day trip. The first process server, identified as Ambiko Wallace, attempted to deliver the summons on February 12 at 7:22 pm but was turned away at a checkpoint by Secret Service agents. The second server, Wayne Engram, who has 15 years of experience, made another attempt the following day at 12:15 pm but was again rebuffed. When Engram attempted to leave the documents on the ground—a standard method of service—he was warned that he would be arrested. He ultimately left the summons in a sealed envelope at a Starbucks approximately 100 feet from the checkpoint and informed the Secret Service agents about its location, but this method was not accepted by the court.

 

An investigator hired by Pannun also contacted Blair House staff and the Secret Service, but they refused to facilitate the service or provide an email address for electronic delivery.

 

Pannun and India-US ties

 

The lawsuit surrounding Pannun’s alleged assassination attempt had previously strained diplomatic relations between India and the United States, with the Biden administration pressing for accountability. Washington had also supported Canada’s allegations regarding the killing of another pro-Khalistan leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. However, India has sought to mitigate tensions by pledging institutional reforms to prevent similar incidents in the future.