India rejects Pannun's US lawsuit against NSA Doval as ‘fabricated, malicious’

India on Tuesday strongly rejected allegations made by Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun against National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Samant Goel in a US civil lawsuit, describing the accusations as fabricated and malicious and the legal action as frivolous.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted that any request to serve foreign judicial documents in India must be routed through the Ministry of Law and Justice, the country's designated central authority.

The response came after a US federal court allowed Pannun to pursue the service of summons on Doval and Goel through Indian courts in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate him in New York in 2023.

Addressing a regular media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We reject the fabricated and malicious attacks on our high officials. Also, we reject the frivolous lawsuits."

He added that requests for serving judicial documents in India could only be routed through the Ministry of Law and Justice.

𝗨𝗦 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀

The latest development followed a November 9 order by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, where Judge Katherine Polk Failla allowed Pannun to pursue the service of summons on the two Indian officials through designated courts in Delhi.

The ruling concerns the procedure for delivering legal documents and does not constitute a finding on the allegations against Doval or Goel.

Under the order, Pannun must submit a proposed packet of documents by November 30, including copies of the summonses, details of previous attempts to serve them, relevant Indian legal provisions and a proposed procedure for transmitting the documents.

The court will examine the materials before deciding whether its clerk should forward them to the identified Indian courts.

The order does not mean that the summonses have already been served or that the court has accepted the allegations contained in the lawsuit.

𝗨𝗦 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆

Separately, the US State Department transmitted documents relating to Pannun's lawsuit against the Indian government to the Indian Embassy in Washington through diplomatic channels.

According to a communication submitted to the New York court, the documents were delivered on October 9 under a diplomatic note dated September 30.

The State Department said it had acted under its statutory responsibilities concerning lawsuits against foreign governments.

However, it clarified that transmitting the documents did not imply any position on the validity of the allegations, the legal status of the defendants or the merits of the case.

The department also stated that it was not a party to the proceedings and could not represent the defendants.

Indian officials have questioned the procedure followed in transmitting the documents, maintaining that requests for service in India must comply with established legal mechanisms.

𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗻'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Pannun, who has been designated a terrorist by India, filed the civil lawsuit in September 2024, alleging that Indian officials were involved in a conspiracy to assassinate him in the United States.

The lawsuit names the Indian government, Doval, Goel, Indian nationals Nikhil Gupta and Vikash Yadav, and other individuals as defendants.

Pannun, who is associated with the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice, has sought damages over the alleged assassination conspiracy.

India has consistently denied allegations of state involvement in the purported plot.

The civil proceedings are separate from the criminal prosecution initiated by US authorities in connection with the alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy.

In November 2023, American prosecutors accused Gupta of participating in a plot to kill Pannun in New York. Gupta pleaded guilty in February 2026 to charges including murder-for-hire conspiracy and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Doval and Goel have not been charged in that criminal case.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

India has reportedly raised concerns with US authorities over the lawsuit, maintaining that the allegations against its senior officials lack merit.

The Indian side has also cited questions of diplomatic immunity and the procedures governing the service of judicial documents across international borders.

The November 9 ruling is limited to the procedural question of serving summonses on Doval and Goel. It does not determine whether the American court has jurisdiction over the substantive allegations or whether the defendants can invoke immunity or other legal protections.

New Delhi has previously raised concerns with Washington over the activities of Khalistani separatist organisations operating from North America, including threats directed at Indian diplomats and diplomatic missions.

Tuesday's response reiterated India's rejection of Pannun's allegations while making clear that any further legal communication must follow the procedures recognised by Indian authorities.