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The United States has issued summonses to Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel and several others in connection with a civil lawsuit filed by Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The US State Department has delivered the summonses to the Indian government through diplomatic channels, according to The Telegraph India.
The summonses were sent to the Indian Embassy in Washington DC following a US court order. A State Department filing submitted to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 28 confirmed their delivery.
The department had earlier sent a diplomatic note to the Indian Embassy on October 9. The note, reportedly signed on September 30, concerned Pannun’s lawsuit seeking compensation over an alleged plot to assassinate him.
Pannun, legal adviser to the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), has accused Doval of planning the assassination attempt by using India’s foreign intelligence agency, RAW.
The US State Department, however, said the diplomatic note was merely a procedural step and did not represent Washington’s position or views on the ongoing civil litigation.
India has rejected Pannun’s lawsuit as “unreasonable and baseless” and repeatedly denied allegations that its officials were involved in the alleged assassination plot.
Background of the case
The civil lawsuit followed a US Department of Justice investigation into an alleged plot to kill Pannun, in which Indian national Nikhil Gupta was accused of involvement.
Gupta was arrested in Prague, Czech Republic, in June 2023 and later extradited to the United States. US prosecutors alleged that he conspired to hire a contract killer to assassinate Pannun, working with others, including Vikas Yadav, who allegedly identified himself as being associated with RAW.
In February 2026, Gupta pleaded guilty to three charges, including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is expected to be sentenced later this month.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has also disclosed communications between Gupta and Yadav, alleging that Yadav contacted Gupta to arrange the assassination.
Yadav, a former junior RAW officer, joined the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 2008 before being inducted into RAW through the Cabinet Secretariat. The US Department of Justice charged him in October 2024.
A separate case against him is also pending in India. Following the US investigation, the Indian government formed a committee to examine evidence and allegations raised by US authorities.
India designated Pannun a terrorist in 2019. The same year, it banned Sikhs for Justice under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
