US court order in Pannun case 'malicious': MEA

Listen to this article in summarized format Listen Loading... × × Subscribe to Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content New Year Offer 24 Hours Left Subscribe Now Already a member? Sign In What's Included Exclusive Stories Daily ePaper Access Smart Market Tools Curated Investment Ideas Ad-lite Experience Subscription ANI New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday rejected the lawsuit filed by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against Indian officials in the United States, after a US federal court allowed him to pursue the service of summons on National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Samant Goel through Indian courts. Responding to the development, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in the biweekly media briefing said, "We reject the fabricated and malicious attacks on our high officials. Also, we reject the frivolous lawsuits." Also Read: MEA flags Chinese livestreamers for allegedly passing off Dhaka as Delhi He further said, "A request for the service of judicial documents in India can only be routed through India's designated central authority, which is the Ministry of Law and Justice ." The development relates to a November 9 order by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in the civil lawsuit filed by Pannun. The court, presided over by US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, granted Pannun's request to pursue service of summons on Doval and Goel through Indian courts. Live Events Also Read: Anti-Sikh riots remain tragic and shameful chapter in country's history: Sonia Gandhi According to the reported details of the order, Pannun has been asked to submit a proposed packet by November 30, containing copies of the summons, a proposed order specifying the method of service, the relevant Indian legal provisions and documents relating to earlier attempts to serve the papers through the Hague Convention. The court would then consider the proposed documents before its clerk transmits the packet to the Indian courts identified in the request. The ruling concerns the procedure for serving legal documents on the two officials and does not constitute a finding on the allegations made in the civil lawsuit. Pannun filed the lawsuit in September 2024, naming the Government of India, Doval, Goel, Nikhil Gupta, Vikash Yadav and other unnamed individuals as defendants. He has alleged that Indian officials were involved in a plot to assassinate him in New York in 2023. These allegations remain allegations in the civil proceedings. The civil lawsuit is separate from the criminal case pursued by US prosecutors against Gupta in connection with the alleged assassination plot. Gupta pleaded guilty in February 2026 to charges including murder-for-hire conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering. India has rejected allegations of involvement by its officials in the alleged plot. Jaiswal's remarks reiterate New Delhi's rejection of the lawsuit and its position that requests for service of judicial documents in India must be routed through the Ministry of Law and Justice, the country's designated central authority. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel ) Read More News on India Gurpatwant Singh Pannun US court ruling National Security Adviser Ajit Doval Research and Analysis Wing Samant Goel Sikh separatist lawsuit allegations legal documents Ministry of Law and Justice (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel ) Read More News on India Gurpatwant Singh Pannun US court ruling National Security Adviser Ajit Doval Research and Analysis Wing Samant Goel Sikh separatist lawsuit allegations legal documents Ministry of Law and Justice Prime Exclusives Investment Ideas Stock Report Plus ePaper Wealth Edition Business of Odd Things: The farm that needs no land, freshwater, or fertiliser KYC and KYB: Inside Pidilite, the company that turned Fevicol into a word for a strong bond – Part 1 of 3 Seoul halts trading, Nifty has its best week since 2021: Money leaving the AI trade – will it land in India? Junk bonds are cracking at the bottom. Will the noise get loud enough to make ‘junk bond’ a household term again? PNG connections rise half a million, but how many use piped gas for cooking? Some elections matter more than you know: No crop changed in the fields, yet sugar, coffee and soya got cheaper in a day 1 2 3 View all Stories