World · South & Central Asia · 25 mins ago
U.S. formally serves India notice in Pannun assassination plot lawsuit
The U.S. State Department formally served India notice of a civil lawsuit filed by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Pannun.
The lawsuit concerns an alleged plot to assassinate Pannun.
The documents were delivered to the Indian Embassy in Washington on October 9, 2026, under a diplomatic note.
The State Department said it was legally obliged to deliver the notice and is not taking a position on the case.
The case follows Nikhil Gupta’s guilty plea in a New York court in February 2026 to charges including murder conspiracy and money laundering.
U.S. investigators allege Gupta worked with Indian government employee Vikash Yadav to hire a hitman, but India’s government has not commented on the case.
The sources do not say what happens next in the lawsuit.
The U.S. State Department formally served India with notice of Gurpatwant Pannun’s civil lawsuit alleging an assassination plot.
The department said it was legally obliged to serve the notice and was not taking a position on the case.
The documents were delivered to the Embassy of India in Washington on October 9, 2026, under cover of a diplomatic note.
Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in a New York court on February 16, 2026, to charges including conspiracy to murder Pannun.
The Indian government had yet to comment on the case, according to The Hindu.
- Who
- The U.S. State Department served notice to the Government of India in a civil lawsuit brought by Gurpatwant Pannun.
- What
- The notice concerned Pannun’s lawsuit over an alleged assassination plot.
- When
- The documents were delivered on October 9, 2026. The diplomatic note was dated October 20, 2026.
- Where
- The documents were delivered to the Embassy of India in Washington.
- Why
- The State Department said it was legally obliged to serve the notice and was not taking a position on the case.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The State Department diplomatic note was signed.
The documents were delivered to the Embassy of India in Washington.
The diplomatic note was dated.
Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in a New York court to charges including murder, conspiracy and money laundering.
- Notice recipient
- Government of India
- Lawsuit plaintiff
- Gurpatwant Pannun
- Delivery location
- Embassy of India, Washington
- Delivery date
- October 9, 2026
- Gupta plea date
- February 16, 2026
What people are saying
I, John Ballard Managing Director of the Directorate of Overseas Citizens Services, in Washington certify that this is a true copy of the United States Department of State diplomatic note signed on September 30, 2026 and delivered to the Embassy of the Republic of India in Washington DC on October 9, 2026.