WASHINGTON: Respectful of her privacy, the media may have given Sonia Gandhi a wide berth on her private trip to the US for medical treatment, but a Sikh group wants to serve court summons on the Congress president for shielding party officials allegedly involved in the November 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The US-based rights group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) had hired a process service company to track down Gandhi, who is currently believed to be in the US for medical check-up, in order to serve on her summons issued by the US Eastern District Court of New York in connection with a civil action case. In a lawsuit resulting in the September 3 summons, SFJ and victims are seeking compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi for her role in "shielding and protecting Union Cabinet minister Kamal Nath, Jagdish Tytler and other Congress leaders from being prosecuted for their crimes against humanity". The complaint has also cited discovery of mass grave at Hondh Chillar village of Haryana in February 2011 to drive home the point that a cover up continued for all these years. Under US process, the plaintiff has120 days to serve summons, after which the defendant has 21 days to respond. SFJ activists indicated they are aware Gandhi is in the US, most likely in New York City, but appeared uncertain about how to serve the summons. "We have some idea where she is staying but she has already got the tip that there are summons out for her," SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun told TOI, explaining the idea behind hiring a process server. Even if they failed to serve the summons on her personally, there were two other options, he said: Serving it at the office of the Overseas Indian National Congress, or at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Pannum said the lawsuit against Gandhi under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVP) "is motivated by an interest in seeking some form of justice for the victims of November 1984 Sikh genocide and raise awareness in the international community regarding denial of justice to the victims, and deterring future abuses". Congress party partisans believe the lawsuit is a frivolous attempt to gain publicity. On its Facebook page, SFJ changed its cover photo to one of Sonia Gandhi under the caption "US Courts are looking for you". "Sonia Gandhi is in the US and believes because she's there on a medical visit; she is immune from any legal action. Well Gandhi, I got news for you... SFJ will come after you when you're healthy, SFJ will come after you when you're sick, SFJ will come after you and anyone else, if they've ever participated in the killing of innocent Sikhs or provide protection for those who murdered innocent Sikhs!" the text below it read. Source of this message: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/1984-anti-Sikh-riots-US-court-summo ns-for-Sonia-Gandhi/articleshow/22303423.cms