The US court has summoned the Indian government, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goyal, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta.
A US court's summons to the Indian government over Khalistani militant Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's civil suit, alleging a conspiracy to kill him, was "totally unjustified", the External Affairs Ministry has said. At a news briefing this afternoon, Secretary of State Vikram Misri was asked about the subpoena by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The summons names the Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goyal, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta and seeks a response within 21 days.
"When these issues first came to our notice, we took action," the foreign secretary said. He said it was a "totally unjustified case". "I invite your attention to the person who filed this," Mr Misri said. Pannun is said to have "known antecedents" and is from an illegal organization. Pannun is the head of the radical Sikhs for Justice and is known for making inflammatory speeches and threats against Indian leaders and organizations. New Delhi declared him a terrorist in 2020.
In November, the UK newspaper Financial Times reported that a plot to kill Pannu, a dual citizen of the US and Canada, had been foiled by the US. Joe Biden administration officials later confirmed this.
In its first response, the External Affairs Ministry said it was a "matter of concern" and asserted that India had launched a high-level investigation.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "A case against an individual that has been filed in a US court, allegedly linking him with an Indian official, is a matter of concern. We have said this is also against government policy." . said.
In May this year, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said India was looking into the matter, but insisted it would not affect the "upward trajectory" of Indo-US relations.
"The nited States brought some information to our attention in good faith because we also believe that some of it affects our own systems," he said in an interview to news agency PTI.
"We are looking into it. But I don't think the basic trajectory of the Indo-US uptrend has been affected at all," he said.
The US court has summoned the Indian government, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goyal, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta.
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