The US court has rejected the Khalistani separaatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s claims regarding the delivery of court documents to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during his Washington visit in February.
US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla stated that service requirements were not fulfilled as specified in the court order, which required delivery to hotel management, staff, or security personnel, PTI news agency reported.
“The Court has reviewed the above letter and attached exhibits… and finds that service was not completed. The Complaint was not delivered to a member of the hotel management or staff or any officers or agents providing security for Defendant, as required by the Court’s Order,” Failla said in the recent order.
The civil lawsuit filed by Pannun targeted Doval and Indian national Nikhil Gupta. Federal prosecutors have accused Gupta of collaborating with an Indian government employee in an unsuccessful scheme to assassinate Pannun on US territory.
According to court documents, Pannun engaged two process servers and an investigator to deliver the complaint to Doval whilst he accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi during meetings with US President Donald Trump on February 12-13.
The initial delivery attempt occurred on February 12 at Blair House, the President’s Guest House accommodating Modi’s delegation. The premises were heavily secured and barricaded.
Court documents reveal that the process server approached a Secret Service agent at the sole checkpoint, explaining his purpose to deliver legal documents to Doval, citing court authorisation for delivery through security personnel. Despite showing the court order, the agent refused acceptance and instructed the server to depart.
The process server retreated, concerned about potential arrest for pursuing further action.
A second attempt on February 13 at Blair House encountered similar resistance. Three Secret Service agents, including a Sergeant, blocked access and refused document acceptance at the checkpoint.
When the server suggested leaving the envelope on the ground, agents threatened arrest. Subsequently, the documents were left at a nearby coffee establishment, with agents being informed of their location for delivery to Doval.
Whilst Pannun asserted in court papers that service requirements were satisfied, the court has definitively rejected this claim.
