A US federal court has issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi following a complaint by the New York-based“Sikhs For Justice” (SFJ), alleging that she was shielding party officials accused of involvement in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
The summons, issued by the US Eastern District Court of New York after the SFJ and two victims of the riots fileda complaint before it, had tobe personally served under US laws.
SFJ attorney Gurpatwant S Pannun said that under federal rules, the group had 120 days to serve the summons and complaint on Gandhi, who is currently visiting the US for medical check-up.
The SFJ had earlier attempted similar legal actions against Union Minister Kamal Nath and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, but with no luck.
Filed under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA), the lawsuit accuses Gandhi of shielding and protecting Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and other Congress party leaders from being prosecuted for their alleged role in the 1984 violence. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.