A US court’s summons to the Indian government over Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s civil suit, alleging a plot to murder him, was “completely unwarranted”, the Ministry of External Affairs has said. In a news briefing this afternoon, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was asked about the summons by the US District Court for Southern District of New York.
The summons names Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta and seeks a reply within 21 days.
“When these issues were first brought to our attention, we took action. There’s a high-level committee engaged (in this matter),” the Foreign Secretary said. He said this was a “completely unwarranted case”. “I invite your attention to the person who filed this,” Mr Misri said, adding that Pannun’s “antecedent is well-known” and that he is from an unlawful organisation. Pannun heads the radical Sikhs for Justice and is known to put out incendiary speeches and threats against Indian leaders and institutions. New Delhi designated him a terrorist in 2020.
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In November, the UK newspaper Financial Times reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual citizenship in the US and Canada. 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.
