US formally serves India with Khalistan separatist Pannun's civil lawsuit through diplomatic note

New Delhi: The US State Department has transmitted a summons, complaint and notice of suit in Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's civil lawsuit against the Government of India through a diplomatic note delivered to the Indian Embassy in Washington.

In a letter dated October 20, 2026, addressed to the clerk of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, the State Department said the documents had been delivered to the Indian Embassy on October 9 under a diplomatic note signed on September 30.

The letter, signed by Jared N. Hess, Attorney Adviser at the State Department's Office of the Legal Adviser, said the transmission was carried out in response to the court's request under Section 1608(a)(4) of Title 28 of the US Code.

Pannun, a US-based leader of the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice, filed the civil lawsuit in September 2024, seeking damages over an alleged plot to assassinate him in the US in 2023.

The lawsuit names the Government of India, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, former Research and Analysis Wing chief Samant Goel, senior RAW officer Vikram Yadav and Indian national Nikhil Gupta, among others. It alleges that Indian officials were involved in a conspiracy to arrange Pannun's killing in New York. The allegations are part of the plaintiff's civil complaint and have not been established by the transmission of the court papers.

Pannun has sought damages for alleged assault and the infliction of emotional distress, claiming that the alleged assassination plot caused him serious harm and left him fearing for his safety.