Indian spy chief served summons by Sikh activist during US visit

NEW YORK: Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has served a lawsuit on Ajit Doval, the head of India’s top intelligence agency and National Security Advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him and top Indian intelligence officials of orchestrating an assassination plot against him in the United States.

The lawsuit was served on Doval during his recent visit to the US alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, revealed the documents.  

Pannun’s lawsuit stated that the Government of India, Doval, and several high-ranking officers in India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), hired Nikhil Gupta to murder him. The plot was foiled when the Gupta tried to hire turned out to be an undercover US agent.

According to Pannun’s complaint, the "murder for hire" plot was part of India’s broader effort to kill prominent Sikh activists who advocate for the right to self-determination for Sikh people in the Indian region of Punjab, criticise the persecution of religious minorities, and condemn human rights abuses by India’s Modi regime.

The new documents revealed that Pannun hired two separate process servers and a private investigator to serve the complaint on Doval during his US visit.

Declarations filed with the court stated that, contrary to a court order, US Secret Service members tried to refuse service of the documents, which Pannun also sent to the location where Doval was staying.

However, service on Doval was carried out pursuant to the court’s February 12, 2025 order permitting alternative service.

In light of these efforts, "Pannun respectfully submits that service on defendant is complete," his papers stated. If service is complete, Doval will have 21 days from service to respond to Pannun’s complaint in the civil case.

"In total disregard to and in violation of American sovereignty, and on Modi’s direction, Doval and his associate attempted to get an American citizen assassinated on American soil for expressing political views," said Pannun.

"I have full faith and trust in the American justice system and am confident that perpetrators of violent transnational repression will be brought to justice in criminal and civil court," he added.

"Doval’s status as Modi’s National Security Adviser will not shield him from American law for long."

"We are glad to start the clock on Mr Doval," said Pannun’s attorney, Matthew Borden, of BraunHagey and Borden, LLP. "He is an important defendant in our case, and he will not be able to hide his involvement. We are looking forward to taking evidence from him and obtaining justice for our client."