India has strongly rejected allegations made against National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel in a civil lawsuit filed in the United States by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. New Delhi described both the claims and the legal action as baseless, characterising them as “fabricated and malicious” and dismissing the proceedings as frivolous.

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

Speaking on the matter, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India firmly rejected the accusations levelled against its senior officials as well as 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 stated.

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

The communication referenced the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), a US law that governs the circumstances under which foreign states and certain state-linked entities or officials may be subject to legal proceedings before American courts.

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

Pannun, who serves as legal counsel for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is seeking damages over an alleged conspiracy to assassinate him in the United States. In his lawsuit, he has accused senior Indian officials, including Ajit Doval and Samant Goel, of directing the purported plot.

SFJ is a separatist organisation that has been banned in India, while Pannun remains wanted by Indian investigative agencies in connection with multiple terrorism-related cases. New Delhi has consistently opposed the organisation’s activities, citing concerns over separatist propaganda and threats to national security.

The allegations contained in the civil lawsuit stem from a separate criminal investigation launched by US authorities into an alleged plot to kill Pannun in New York.

The matter gained international attention in November 2023 when US prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta, alleging that he worked with an individual described as an Indian government employee to organise the assassination attempt.

According to American prosecutors, the alleged conspiracy involved efforts to arrange Pannun’s killing on US soil. US authorities contended that the operation was disrupted before it could be carried out.

Although both proceedings revolve around allegations linked to the same purported assassination plot, the criminal prosecution in the United States and Pannun’s civil lawsuit remain separate legal cases.

The development marks the latest chapter in a dispute that has drawn diplomatic attention in both Washington and New Delhi, with India continuing to reject allegations of official involvement while maintaining its position against SFJ and its activities.

ANI