U.S. State Department Delivers Civil Lawsuit Summonses to India’s NSA Ajit Doval and Ex-R&AW Chief over Alleged Plot

The U.S. State Department has formally delivered diplomatic summonses to the Indian Embassy in Washington on behalf of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York regarding a civil lawsuit filed by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The lawsuit names Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former R&AW chief Samant Goel over an alleged assassination plot in New York. The Indian government has dismissed the claims as unwarranted and unsubstantiated, while U.S. officials emphasized that delivering the diplomatic note is purely a procedural step.

RMN News Legal Desk
New Delhi | November 10, 2026

WASHINGTON D.C. / NEW DELHI — In a major diplomatic and legal development reported on November 10, 2026, the U.S. State Department confirmed the transmission of summonses to the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. in connection with a high-profile civil lawsuit filed by India-designated terrorist and Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The lawsuit, instituted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, reportedly names India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Samant Goel among the key defendants.

Diplomatic Summonses Delivered via Official Channels

According to court filings confirmed on October 28, the U.S. State Department transmitted a diplomatic note dated September 30 to the Indian Embassy on October 9. This formal delivery follows instructions from the federal court overseeing the civil suit.

Pannun, who serves as legal counsel for the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is seeking monetary damages over an alleged conspiracy to assassinate him on American soil. The lawsuit claims that senior Indian intelligence and security leadership coordinated the targeted operation.

In a statement addressing the process, the U.S. State Department clarified that transmitting diplomatic notes is a mandatory procedural obligation under international and domestic service protocols and does not reflect any substantive opinion or endorsement regarding the merits of the civil claims.

Also Read:

[ Former Indian Spy Involved in Plot to Kill Pannun: U.S. Justice Department ]

[ Sikh Groups Demand Revocation of Modi’s G7 Invitation Over Transnational Repression Accusations ]

[ Sikhs Hold Protests in U.S. Against Modi. U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff Bill to Protect Sikhs ]

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has consistently rejected the allegations, describing the civil lawsuit as unwarranted and unsubstantiated. New Delhi maintains that its government officials had no involvement in any extraterritorial targeted killings.

Case Summary & Key Procedural Details

Parameter	Case Details & Legal Status
Court Jurisdiction	U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Plaintiff	Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (Legal Counsel, Sikhs for Justice)
Primary Defendants	NSA Ajit Doval, Ex-R&AW Chief Samant Goel, Government of India
Legal Channel	Diplomatic Note transmitted by U.S. State Department to Indian Embassy
Government of India Position	Unwarranted, unsubstantiated, and firmly rejected
U.S. State Department Position	Standard procedural service; holds no position on civil suit merits

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Parallel Criminal Proceedings and Extradition

The civil filing parallels a broader criminal investigation led by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into an attempted murder-for-hire conspiracy:

1. Nikhil Gupta’s Conviction: Indian national Nikhil Gupta was arrested in Prague in June 2023 and subsequently extradited to the United States. In February 2026, Gupta pleaded guilty to three federal counts, including murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and money laundering conspiracy.
2. Role of R&AW Officers: Federal indictments unsealed by the U.S. DOJ charged Vikash Yadav, identified as a former junior R&AW officer, with directing the assassination plan alongside Gupta.
3. Investigative Findings: Evidence released by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) established direct communications between Yadav and Gupta aimed at contracting a hitman in New York.

Following the revelations, India constituted a high-level investigative committee to examine the security inputs provided by American authorities.

Transnational Repression Concerns and USCIRF Recommendations

The civil lawsuit and accompanying U.S. criminal case coincide with heightened international scrutiny regarding extraterritorial actions.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for 2026. USCIRF highlighted allegations of transnational repression—specifically referencing the foiled Pannun plot in New York and the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, Canada—as central factors in its assessment.

The bilateral fallout has created delicate diplomatic challenges for New Delhi across Western capitals, even as Indian defense and security officials emphasize their commitment to international legal standards and counter-terrorism measures against anti-India extremist networks.