A US court has issued a summons to the Indian government and several Indian officials in response to a lawsuit filed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani separatist. Pannun alleges that the Indian government was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate him. The summons, issued by the District Court for the Southern District of New York, requires a response from the Indian government within 21 days.

The lawsuit names several individuals, including India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Samant Goel, R&AW agent Vikram Yadav, and Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta, along with the Indian government itself. Pannun, who leads the separatist group Sikhs for Justice, posted a copy of the summons on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), though the post has since been removed.

Last year, it was reported that the US had thwarted a plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenship. This development was later confirmed by the Biden administration.

In response to the lawsuit, India’s Ministry of External Affairs described the situation as a "matter of concern" and announced a high-level investigation. Former MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “The case against an individual linked to an Indian official is concerning and contrary to government policy.”

Despite these developments, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar emphasized that the situation would not affect the positive trajectory of India-US relations. He mentioned that the US raised the issue in good faith, acknowledging potential implications for both nations.

Nikhil Gupta, the Indian businessman implicated in the alleged plot, has pleaded not guilty in a federal court. Gupta, who was extradited from the Czech Republic where he was arrested last year, is described in court documents as a "senior field officer" with an intelligence background and code CC-1.

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