Days after a US court in New York had issued summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for “shielding and protecting” the leaders of her party who were allegedly involved in the anti-Sikh pogrom in India in 1984, a federal judge has ordered for delivery of summons to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
A class action suit against Gandhi was filed by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a US-based human rights group, along with victims of the November 1984 under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA).
SFJ legal counsel Gurpatwant S. Pannun said federal court Judge Brian M. Cogan’s order further directs the hospital and security staff to give summons and complaint to Gandhi personally in the hospital.
Gandhi is currently in the US for regular medical check up. 66-year-old Gandhi, who had undergone a surgery in the US for an undisclosed ailment [allegedly cervical cancer] on August 5, 2011, had flown there for a check-up in February and again on September two last year. — Niti Central. 10 September 2013
See also
- 1984 Sikh massacre: US court summons Sonia
- Sikh genocide case against Congress Party moves forward in US court
Filed under: india, USA | Tagged: 1984 anti sikh riots, communalism, congress party president, INC, india, justice, national security, politics, psychological warfare, sikh, sikh genocide, sikhism, sikhs for justice, society, sonia gandhi, US court, USA |
Sikh rights violation case: US court issues summons to Manmohan Singh – IP Singh – TNN – Sep 26, 2013, 11.23 AM IST
JALANADHAR: Less than 20 days after securing summons from a US court against Congress president Sonia Gandhi for protecting perpetrators of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs, New York-based rights group Sikhs For Justice has now secured summons from a federal court in Washington DC against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his alleged role in sanctioning big amounts as cash rewards for Punjab cops involved in the counter-insurgency operations the early 90s, as well as protecting those involved in the 1984 Sikhs massacre.
The rights violation case “SFJ v. Manmohan Singh” has been assigned to US District Judge, James E. Boasberg. The plaintiffs have 120 days to serve the summons and complaint to the PM who will be in Washington this week to meet US President Obama.
SFJ’s legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has revealed that because it will be very difficult to serve summons on the PM through the regular process given the tight security around him since he will be attending a summit with US President Obama at the White House, an emergency motion will be filed with the Washington Federal Court for leave “to effect alternative means of service” by allowing the rights group to deliver the summons to White House staff and members of the Prime Minister’s security detail while he is here.
The human rights violation lawsuit against PM Manmohan Singh has been filed by SFJ under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) for funding several counter-insurgency operations in Punjab resulting in more than hundred thousand Sikhs being killed extra-judicially by Indian security forces.
The plaintiffs in the class action human rights violation law suit against PM Manmohan Singh are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the torture and extra-judicial killings at the hands of the security forces. Under ATCA and TVPA, the US federal courts have jurisdiction over cases of human rights violations even though violations have occurred on foreign soil as in this case.
The September 25th complaint filed before Washington DC District Court alleges that Manmohan Singh’s culpability in the crimes of torture and extra-judicial killings of Sikhs started in 1991 when he became finance minister.
Manmohan Singh approved and financed, as head of the finance ministry, the infamous practice of “cash rewards” to members of security forces for killing Sikhs through extra-judicial means often in “staged and fake encounters” to curb the Sikh rights’ movement in Punjab, the complaint further alleges.
The 24 page complaint alleges that during his tenure as PM (2004-present), Manmohan Singh has actively shielded and protected the members of his political party who were involved in organizing and carrying out genocidal attacks on the Sikh population in November 1984 resulting in the death of more than 30, 000 members of the community.
Ravi Batra, the New York-based attorney who represents the Congress Party in a similar case filed against it by the SFJ, termed it as a publicity gimmicks.
“SFJ’s ‘red carpet’ welcome, a lawsuit against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the leader of a free, independent and sovereign nation, is headline grabbing while insulting law, decency and common sense,” Batra said, according to PTI.
Sikh groups are also holding a “Justice Rally” on September 27 in front of the White House during the Obama-Singh meeting. The rally is supported by Sikh organizations and management committees of gurdwaras across the United States and Canada.
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Sonia Gandhi served US court summons in hospital – Indian Express – 11 Sept. 2013
USA : A Sikh rights group has delivered a US federal court’s summons at a hospital where Congress President Sonia Gandhi was believed to have been admitted even as she returned to India on Wednesday.
The rights group ‘Sikhs for Justice’ served the summons issued by federal judge Brain M Cogan on Gandhi for shielding and protecting party leaders allegedly involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi.
The Night Shift Nursing Supervisor at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital was handed a copy of the summons and complaint which Judge Cogan had directed to be given to Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Gandhi, 66, returned to Delhi this morning from the US where she had gone for a routine medical check-up.
A class action suit against Gandhi was filed by Sikhs for justice (SFJ), a US-based human rights group, along with victims of the November 1984 under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA).
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