US court summons Indian government over 'plot' to murder Khalistani separatist Pannun

Pannun, a US-Canadian dual citizen of Indian origin designated by India as a terrorist, had evaded an attempt on his life in June 2023.

A US court has summoned the Indian government after General counsel for the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, initiated a civil lawsuit in a US federal district court against the Indian government, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and others. Pannun claimed damages for an alleged assassination attempt against him on United States soil last year.

The Centre is yet to respond to the summons. Pannu's X handle, on which he shared a copy of the summons, has been withheld, reported NDTV.

Pannun, a US-Canadian dual citizen of Indian origin designated by India as a terrorist, had evaded an attempt on his life in June 2023. According to Times of India, the lawsuit filed on Tuesday in the southern district of New York also lists former R&AW chief Samant Goel, senior R&AW officer Vikram Yadav, and Nikhil Gupta. Gupta, an Indian national, is in a New York jail on murder-for-hire charges.

Pannun is seeking financial compensation for the assault and inflicting extreme emotional distress. He claims his life is still under threat. The lawsuit alleges that Yadav was recruited by R&AW Gupta to arrange a murder attempt on Pannun and it was approved by Goel and Doval. The plot was reportedly stopped because the hitmen were undercover US agents. Although the complaint suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the plot, he is not included in the lawsuit due to his diplomatic immunity.

The Indian government has already set up a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the allegations.

Gupta is accused of attempting to hire hitmen to kill Pannun. The civil case includes “possible defendants whose identities are not yet known.” “This lawsuit seeks to hold the GOI and a number of high-ranking officials there accountable under US tort law,” Pannun’s counsel, Matthew Borden of Braun Hagey & Borden LLP. “We aim to hold everyone involved in this plot accountable.”

According to reports, Pannun alleges he is being targeted because he campaigns for the creation of Khalistan.

In November, the UK newspaper Financial Times reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun. Officials in the Joe Biden administration later confirmed this.

In its first response, the External Affairs Ministry said it is a "matter of concern" and stressed that India has launched a high-level probe.

"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," then MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

In May, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is investigating the matter, but stressed that it would not impact the "upward trajectory" of India-US ties.