US Court Summons Indian Government And NSA Ajit Doval In Pannun Assassination Plot Lawsuit

New Delhi: A US court has summoned the Indian government and its officials, including current National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, in a civil lawsuit filed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who claimed damages for an alleged assassination attempt by Indian government agents in the US. Pannun, who is of Indian origin and has dual US-Canada citizenship, is the general counsel for the pro-Khalistan group called Sikhs for Justice. 

Pannun has been designated as a terrorist by the Indian government, and his X handle, on which he shared a copy of the summons, is withheld in India. However, others have shared the same summons on X. 

Pannun filed the lawsuit on Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, naming the Indian Government, NSA Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, senior R&AW officer Vikram Yadav, and Nikhil Gupta as defendants.

The 52-year-old Gupta, an Indian national, is in a New York jail on murder-for-hire charges.

The Indian government has not responded to the summons as yet. 

According to reports, Pannun evaded an attempt on his life in June 2023. 

Pannun has sought financial compensation for the attack and the emotional trauma he suffered, stating that his life is in danger. The lawsuit contends that R&AW operative Gupta enlisted Yadav to plan an assassination attempt on Pannun, allegedly sanctioned by Goel and Doval. 

The plan was reportedly thwarted when the hired assassins were revealed to be undercover US agents. While the complaint suggests that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was informed of the plan, he is not included in the lawsuit, possibly due to diplomatic immunity.