Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government.
New Delhi:
A US court has summoned the Indian government following a civil suit filed by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleging an assassination plot. The summons in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York names the Indian government, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Bikram Yadav and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta. The summons asks the Indian government and the named individuals to respond within 21 days.
The central government is yet to respond to the summons. Pannu, who shared a copy of the summons, has kept his X handle private.
In November, British newspaper Financial Times reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun, a leader of the militant group Sikhs for Justice and a dual US-Canadian citizen. Officials in President Joe Biden's administration later confirmed this.
In its initial response, the Ministry of External Affairs said it was a “matter of concern” and stressed that India had launched a high-level investigation.
“The cases filed in US courts against individuals with alleged links to Indian officials are a matter of concern. We have maintained that this too is against government policy,” Arindam Bagchi, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said at the time.
In May this year, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said India was looking into the matter but stressed that it would not affect the “upward trajectory” of India-US relations.
“The US has shared certain information with us in good faith because we too believe some of it could impact our system,” he told news agency PTI in an interview.
“We are looking into it. But I don't think the fundamental direction of improving India-US relations will be affected by this,” he said.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti told NDTV that the issue will not affect India-US relations.
Pannun is known for his inflammatory speeches and threats against Indian leaders and institutions, and was designated a terrorist by the Indian government in 2020.
