Unwarranted, unsubstantiated: India dismisses lawsuit filed in US by Pannun

India on Thursday rejected as completely "unwarranted and unsubstantiated" a lawsuit filed in a US court against the Indian government and certain Indian officials by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in an alleged foiled plot to assassinate him.

Pannun, who heads the radical group Sikhs for Justice filed the civil lawsuit in a US federal district court in New York demanding damages for the alleged attempt to eliminate him on American soil last year.

In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun in New York.

 

Replying to a question at a media briefing on the civil lawsuit filed by Pannun, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described it as "unwarranted" and "unsubstantiated imputations".

Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada.

"As we've said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. Now that this particular case has been lodged, it doesn't change our views about the underlying situation," Misri said.

"I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case whose antecedents are well known," he said.

Following the allegations by the US, India appointed a high-level inquiry committee to look into the inputs provided by the US on the plot.

"I would also underline the fact that the organisation -- so-called that this person represents -- is an unlawful organisation, has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and it has been done so on account of its involvement in anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India," Misri said.

"I do not want to say anything more than that at this point in time. I think that speaks for itself," he said.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in a district court in New York against the government of India, NSA Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, senior security official Vikram Yadav, and Nikhil Gupta.

In April, The Washington Post named an Indian official for allegedly plotting to assassinate Pannun on American soil.

Asked about the high-level committee appointed to probe the allegations in the foiled plot case, Misri said relevant agencies of the two countries are engaged on the matter.

"As has been said from this platform in the past, when these issues were first brought to our attention, we have taken certain action and these issues, including the allegations, are being enquired into by high-level committee and the relevant agencies on both sides have engaged on this," he said.

The foreign secretary was addressing the media on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to the US beginning September 21.

Modi is visiting the US to attend the annual Quad summit and address the 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Wilmington, Delaware.

When asked if the Khalistan issue will be discussed during Modi's planned bilateral talks with Biden, Misri did not give a direct reply.

"As we have said earlier, whatever issues are of mutual concern between India and America, we discuss them all. Whether any specific issue will be raised or not, I cannot say at this time," he said.

"But I can definitely say that we will discuss all the issues," he said.

Misri said the agenda between India and the US is "vast and deep" and all issues are open for discussions.