"Completely Unwarranted": India On US Court Summons Over Khalistani Terrorist

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.

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.

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

"The United States brought to our attention certain information in good faith because we also believe some of it has implications for our own system," he said in an interview to news agency PTI.

"We are investigating it. But I do not think the fundamental course of the upward trajectory of India-US is impacted by this at all," he said.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has told NDTV that this matter will not affect India-US ties.