US Court Allows Pannun To Serve Lawsuit On Ajit Doval, Ex-RAW Chief Through Indian Courts

A US court has permitted Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to serve his civil lawsuit against India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel through Indian courts in Delhi.

In an order issued on Monday, a New York court approved Pannun's request to serve the two officials through the Indian judicial system, setting November 30, 2026, as the deadline for completing the process.

The lawsuit names Doval and Goel among the defendants. The latest order allows the plaintiff to pursue the delivery of legal documents through the designated Indian courts.

Pannun, who is associated with the Khalistan separatist movement, is based in the United States and has been active in both the US and Canada. The Indian government has designated him a terrorist and declared his organisation, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), an unlawful entity.

He has previously made threats against Indian diplomats in Canada and called for violence against them, besides threatening attacks on Indian soil.

This is not the first time the New York court has dealt with the issue of serving legal documents on Doval. In April 2025, the court had rejected Pannun's claim that summons and other court papers had been delivered to the NSA during his visit to Washington in February that year. It had clarified that no such complaint was served on Doval during the visit.