India rejects Gurpatwant Pannun's US lawsuit against Ajit Doval, calls allegations 'malicious'

New Delhi has also dismissed the legal proceedings as frivolous, reiterating that any request to serve judicial documents in India must follow the country's designated legal channels.

The response came after the US State Department confirmed that it had formally transmitted court-issued summonses to the Indian government through diplomatic channels.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday said India rejected both the allegations against its senior officials and the lawsuit itself.

"We reject the fabricated and malicious attacks on our high officials. Also we reject the frivolous lawsuits. A request for serving of judicial documents in India can only be routed through India's designated central authority that is the Ministry of Law and Justice," Jaiswal said.

US transmits court summonses through diplomatic channels

According to the US State Department, the court documents were transmitted to the Indian Embassy in Washington DC on October 9, following the signing of a diplomatic note on September 30, 2026.

The note referred to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), the US legislation that governs the circumstances under which foreign governments and certain state-linked entities or officials can face legal proceedings in American courts.

"The Department has no discretion in carrying out this request from the District Court under the FSIA," the diplomatic note stated.

However, India's response has made clear that the transmission of the documents does not amount to acceptance of the allegations or the legal proceedings.

What is Pannun's lawsuit against Indian officials?

The civil lawsuit was filed by Pannun, who serves as legal counsel for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a separatist organisation banned in India.

Pannun has sought damages over an alleged conspiracy to assassinate him in the United States.

His lawsuit accuses senior Indian officials, including Doval and former R&AW chief Goel, of involvement in the purported plot.

Pannun is wanted by Indian investigative agencies in connection with several terrorism-related cases. India has consistently opposed the activities of SFJ and designated the organisation as unlawful under Indian law.

Nikhil Gupta case: How the alleged assassination plot emerged

The civil lawsuit is linked to a separate criminal investigation launched by US authorities into an alleged attempt to arrange Pannun's killing in New York.

The matter attracted international attention in November 2023, when US prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta with allegedly working alongside an individual described as an Indian government employee to organise the assassination attempt.

According to the US prosecution, Gupta allegedly collaborated with the unnamed individual to arrange the killing of Pannun on American soil. US authorities claimed that the purported conspiracy was foiled before the attack could be carried out.

The criminal prosecution against Gupta and Pannun's civil lawsuit against Indian officials are separate legal proceedings, although both revolve around allegations linked to the same purported assassination plot.

India's latest response underscores New Delhi's rejection of the allegations and its insistence that judicial documents must be served in accordance with established Indian legal procedures.