India reacts after US court summons government in plot to murder Gurpatwant Pannun

The Centre reacted sharply to a US court issuing summons to the government and top officials in connection with the assassination attempt on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice.
In a statement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “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. I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case whose antecedents are well known.”
“I would also underline the fact that the organisation so-called that this person represents is an unlawful organisation, has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and it has been done so on account of its involvement in anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India,” he added.
Earlier, the US District Court for Southern District of New York named the Government of India, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, in the summons. Two persons, Nikhil Gupta and Vikram Yadav, who have been accused in connection with the assassination case, have also been served summons.
Nikhil Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic last year at the request of the US government on charges of being involved in a plot to assassinate Pannun in New York. He was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic in June this year.
In April 2024, The Washington Post reported that Vikram Yadav, an officer with India’s Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), was implicated as the official behind the plot. The report also mentioned that then R&AW chief Samant Goel approved the operation.
The Centre, however, dismissed the report, saying it makes “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations” to claim that Indian agents were involved in the plot to kill Pannun.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada, and is wanted in India on terror charges. He has been designated a terrorist by the Union Home Minister under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.