India Rejects US Lawsuit Over Pannun Assassination Plot
The Indian government rejected a US civil lawsuit filed by separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleging a plot to assassinate him in New York.
The Ministry of External Affairs of India has rejected a civil lawsuit filed by Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, describing the allegations as "fabricated and malicious." The lawsuit alleges a plot to assassinate Pannun in New York, a case linked to Nikhil Gupta, an Indian citizen who pleaded guilty in February 2026 to murder-for-hire, conspiracy, and money laundering.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla authorized Pannun to serve his plea to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing chief Samant Goel. The court ordered that documents be served through Indian courts in Delhi by November 30, 2026. The United States Department of State formally delivered the legal notice to the Indian Embassy in Washington, clarifying that the notification was a legal obligation and not a government position on the allegations.
India's Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the lawsuits as "frivolous" and asserted that judicial documents must be routed through the Ministry of Law and Justice, the designated central authority, rather than the embassy. The case involves allegations that Nikhil Gupta worked with Vikash Yadav, an individual linked to India's Research and Analysis Wing.
