US Court Moves to Serve Summons on Ajit Doval and Former RAW Chief in Pannun Lawsuit
A major legal development has emerged in the United States over a civil lawsuit filed by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, with a federal judge allowing a route to serve summonses on India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel through Indian courts.
The case concerns allegations of a conspiracy to assassinate Pannun in the United States in 2023. The latest court decision has brought senior Indian officials into the spotlight, although the allegations against them have not been established in court.
US State Department sends legal documents to India
The US State Department transmitted a diplomatic note containing the summons and complaint in Pannun's civil lawsuit to the Indian Embassy in Washington on October 9, 2026.
The documents concern the Indian government, which has been named as a defendant in the case. The State Department subsequently informed the US District Court for the Southern District of New York that the papers had been delivered to the embassy.
The department clarified that transmitting legal documents was a procedural requirement. It did not mean that the US government supported Pannun's allegations or had reached any conclusion about the claims.
Court allows summons to be served through Indian courts
In a separate development, a federal judge in New York on November 9 permitted Pannun to pursue service of the lawsuit on Ajit Doval and Samant Goel through courts in Delhi.
The decision followed earlier difficulties in delivering the legal documents through other channels.
Pannun's legal team proposed using Indian courts under the international framework for serving judicial documents abroad. The judge allowed this route under the Hague Convention and relevant provisions of India's Code of Civil Procedure.
However, the order does not mean that Doval and Goel have already personally received the summonses.
Pannun has been directed to submit the necessary documents and proposed procedure for approval by November 30, 2026. After approval, the US court clerk can transmit the papers to the appropriate courts in Delhi.
What is the Pannun lawsuit about?
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun filed the civil lawsuit in September 2024. The complaint alleges that Indian officials and other individuals were involved in a conspiracy to arrange his assassination in New York in 2023.
The lawsuit names the Government of India, Ajit Doval, former RAW chief Samant Goel, former RAW officer Vikash Yadav, Indian national Nikhil Gupta and several unidentified defendants.
Pannun is seeking legal accountability and financial damages over the alleged plot.
The civil case is connected to a separate criminal investigation in the United States into an alleged attempt to hire a contract killer to murder Pannun.
US prosecutors alleged that Nikhil Gupta was involved in efforts to arrange the killing and acted at the direction of an Indian government employee. Gupta pleaded guilty in February 2026 to three federal counts, including conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
His sentencing is scheduled for November 20, 2026.
The criminal proceedings against Gupta and Pannun's civil lawsuit are separate legal matters. Gupta's guilty plea does not automatically establish the responsibility of every person named in the civil complaint.
India's position on the allegations
India has consistently rejected allegations that its government was involved in an attempt to assassinate Pannun.
New Delhi has also questioned the claims and objected to attempts to link senior Indian officials to the alleged conspiracy.
The Indian government has designated Pannun as a terrorist under Indian law, while his organisation, Sikhs for Justice, has been declared an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The case has created diplomatic challenges for India and the United States, which maintain important defence, security, intelligence and economic ties.
Despite differences over the investigation, both countries have continued diplomatic engagement.
Why the latest court decision matters
The latest ruling is significant because it gives Pannun a possible legal route to serve documents on Doval and Goel without requiring them to travel to the United States.
If the summonses are eventually served, the named officials will have an opportunity to respond through the appropriate legal process. They may also raise objections concerning jurisdiction, immunity and other legal questions.
A failure to respond to properly served court documents could lead to further proceedings, potentially including a default judgment. However, such an outcome is not automatic.
The legal process will determine what happens next.
What happens next?
The immediate deadline is November 30, when Pannun must submit the proposed documents and procedure for serving Doval and Goel through Indian courts.
The next stage will depend on the US court's approval and the handling of the documents by the relevant Indian judicial authorities.
The papers transmitted to the Indian Embassy concern the Indian government, while the proposed service through Indian courts concerns Doval and Goel individually.
For now, the case remains a civil legal dispute involving serious allegations that have not been established against the named officials in court. The next developments will depend on the legal process and any responses made by the defendants.