US Federal Court Issues Summons Against India's Prime Minister (24 hours before he arrives in the US)

[GBCW 397]

By Ankit Panda
September 26, 2014

Some 24 hours before he arrives in the United States on his first visit to the country as prime minster, the U.S. Federal Court of the Southern District of New York issued a summons against Narendra Modi regarding his alleged involvement in the 2002 Godhra riots, in his home state of Gujarat. The summons requires Modi to respond within 21 days of receipt, barring which the court will decide in default against Modi for the damages sought by the plaintiffs. According to The Hindu, the summons “charges PM Modi with committing crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings, torture and inflicting mental and physical trauma on the victims, mostly from the Muslim community.”

The summons was issued in connection with a lawsuit filed by the American Justice Center (AJC), a non-profit human rights organization representing the plaintiffs in the case who have been described as “two survivors of the horrific and organised violence of Gujarat 2002.” The riots in question took place under Modi’s tenure as chief minister of Gujarat. While the Supreme Court of India found no evidence of Modi’s complicity in enabling the riots, many of the prime minister’s critics allege that his inaction allowed several hundred Muinlims to perish at the hands of Hindu rioters. The Indian government’s official death toll of the riots counts 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus among the victims. Another 2500 were injured and 223 were reported missing.

...

It is possible that the summons could lead to an extremely negative reaction in India. Modi and his party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, came to power with the strongest democratic mandate in India in decades. The incident could emerge as a major symbolic inhibitor to closer U.S.-India ties.

http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/us-federal-court-issues-summons-against-narendra-modi/

[Sousuke 1,214]

By Ankit Panda

September 26, 2014

Some 24 hours before he arrives in the United States on his first visit to the country as prime minster, the U.S. Federal Court of the Southern District of New York issued a summons against Narendra Modi regarding his alleged involvement in the 2002 Godhra riots, in his home state of Gujarat. The summons requires Modi to respond within 21 days of receipt, barring which the court will decide in default against Modi for the damages sought by the plaintiffs. According to The Hindu, the summons “charges PM Modi with committing crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings, torture and inflicting mental and physical trauma on the victims, mostly from the Muslim community.”

The summons was issued in connection with a lawsuit filed by the American Justice Center (AJC), a non-profit human rights organization representing the plaintiffs in the case who have been described as “two survivors of the horrific and organised violence of Gujarat 2002.” The riots in question took place under Modi’s tenure as chief minister of Gujarat. While the Supreme Court of India found no evidence of Modi’s complicity in enabling the riots, many of the prime minister’s critics allege that his inaction allowed several hundred Muinlims to perish at the hands of Hindu rioters. The Indian government’s official death toll of the riots counts 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus among the victims. Another 2500 were injured and 223 were reported missing.

...

It is possible that the summons could lead to an extremely negative reaction in India. Modi and his party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, came to power with the strongest democratic mandate in India in decades. The incident could emerge as a major symbolic inhibitor to closer U.S.-India ties.

http://thediplomat.com/2014/09/us-federal-court-issues-summons-against-narendra-modi/

Does he have any US assets?