NSA Ajit Doval, who accompanied PM Narendra Modi during his February 12–13 visit to the US, was not served with the summons during his visit, according to a US court. This ruling dismisses Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s assertion that he was able to deliver the notice to the top Indian security official.
When Pannun’s lawyer attempted to post the notice outside the president’s guest residence, US Secret Service guards at Blair residence, where the Indian delegation was stationed, threatened to arrest his server, the court said in response. The only Starbucks close that the server could leave the summons with was insufficient for the court.
A judge in the Southern District of New York examined the letter and declared that “the complaint was not delivered to a member of the hotel management or staff or any officers or agents providing security for Defendant (Doval), as required by the court’s order.” The development supports the Indian claim that, while in the US, the NSA was not issued the summons, which Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had characterized as based on unfounded and unsupported imputations.
A US court issued the summons in September of last year in response to a civil complaint brought by Pannun about an alleged murder conspiracy against him, for which American officials had accused Vikash Yadav, an Indian government agent. After investigating the matter, the Indian government suggested that Yadav face legal repercussions. Due to his suspected involvement in the scheme, Indian national Nikhil Gupta is still being held in the United States; his trial is scheduled for November 3, 2025.
According to reports, Pannun employed two process servers and an investigator to provide Doval with service in Washington, DC, when he was in the US for two days.
The letter’s contents state that on February 12 at 7:22 p.m., Ambiko Wallace, the first server, arrived at Blair House and discovered it locked with a single checkpoint manned by Secret Service officers. Wallace caused the server to depart the checkpoint right away after presenting the legal paperwork to an agent who refused to accept it.
The following day at 12:15 p.m., a different person named Wayne Engram, who was reportedly a more entrepreneurial process server with 15 years of experience, contacted the agents.
He reportedly attempted to employ a “standard method of service” by placing the envelope on the ground in front of the Secret Service, but they continued to refuse to receive any documents. But he was warned by one of the agents that if he left the summons on the ground, he would be detained. Engram made the decision at that point to leave the documents at the closest public place where he would not be detained. It so happened that this Starbucks was just a hundred feet away from the checkpoint.Outside the Starbucks, in the public seating area, Mr. Engram placed the sealed envelope containing the service documents.
He then returned to the checkpoint, informed the agents of his whereabouts, and requested that they promptly acquire the documents and deliver them to the defendant, according to the letter.
” For the court, this was obviously insufficient. The investigator Pannun hired during this time also called the Secret Service and Blair House personnel, but was informed that there was no way to serve the Defendant there. Also, they wouldn’t give over any emails that may be used to distribute the summons.
