Khalistani separatist Pannun files lawsuit against Indian govt, NSA Doval

This comes just days before PM Modi's visit to the US from September 21-23 during which he will attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit and address the UN's Summit of the Future.

New York: Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has filed a civil lawsuit against the Government of India and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, with a US court issuing summons in the case.

In New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Thursday termed imputations “unwarranted and unsubstantiated.”

“As we’ve said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. Now that this particular case has been lodged, it doesn’t change our views about the underlying situation,” Misri told the media.

The summons issued by the US District Court for Southern District of New York in the civil action lawsuit state that a response to the summons must be given within 21 days.

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This comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US from September 21-23 during which he will attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit and address the UN’s Summit of the Future.

The lawsuit has been filed against the Government of India and Doval and Nikhil Gupta, who has been charged by federal prosecutors in an indictment unsealed in November last year with working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual US and Canadian citizenships, on American soil.

Gupta was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic in June and made his first appearance in Manhattan federal court before Magistrate Judge James Cott. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.