The United States has issued summons to several individuals—including India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Samant Goel, the former chief of India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)—in connection with a civil lawsuit filed by Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. According to a report by The Telegraph India, the US State Department has delivered these summons to the Indian government through diplomatic channels.
The report states that, following an order from a US court, the summons were transmitted via diplomatic channels to the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
In a document filed on October 28 with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the State Department confirmed the delivery of the summons.
Prior to this, on October 9, the State Department had sent a diplomatic note to the Indian Embassy; the note was reportedly signed on September 30. Pannun, who serves as the legal advisor to the banned organization ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ), filed the civil lawsuit seeking damages in relation to an alleged assassination attempt against him.
He alleges that Ajit Doval orchestrated a plot to kill him, utilizing India’s foreign intelligence agency, R&AW.
However, the US State Department has clarified that the transmission of the diplomatic note is merely a procedural step and does not reflect any position or opinion held by the United States regarding the ongoing civil litigation.
Meanwhile, India has dismissed Pannun’s lawsuit as “absurd and baseless.” New Delhi has also consistently denied any involvement by its officials in the alleged assassination plot.
Lawsuit Follows US Investigation
This civil lawsuit was filed following an investigation by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) into the alleged plot to assassinate Pannun. An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta—described by US authorities as a drug and arms trafficker—is alleged to have been involved in the conspiracy.
Gupta was arrested in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, in June 2023 and was subsequently extradited to the United States. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Gupta conspired to hire a contract killer to assassinate Pannun. In this endeavor, he remained in contact with several individuals, including Vikas Yadav—who identified himself as being affiliated with RAW (India’s external intelligence agency).
In February 2026, Gupta pleaded guilty to three charges: conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, solicitation to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His sentencing is scheduled for later this month.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has disclosed information regarding direct communication between Vikas Yadav and Nikhil Gupta concerning this plot. According to the agency, Yadav reached out to Gupta to facilitate the execution of the assassination.
Vikas Yadav, a former junior RAW officer, joined the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 2008. He was subsequently inducted into RAW through the Cabinet Secretariat. In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against him.
Currently, a case is also pending against him in an Indian court. Following the U.S. investigation, the Indian government established a committee to review the evidence and allegations presented by U.S. authorities regarding the purported assassination attempt.
In 2019, India’s Union Ministry of Home Affairs designated Pannun as a terrorist. That same year, ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ) was declared an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
