NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- A federal court in New York issued a summons to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a day before his arrival in the U.S.
The summons requires Modi to respond within 21 days to a lawsuit that accuses him of human rights abuses in the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which more than 1,000 people, primarily Muslims, were killed.
Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannum filed the complaint against Modi on Thursday, noting that his client seeks to hold the prime minister accountable for his involvement "in the genocidal attack on Muslims."
Modi was implicated in 2002, as new chief minister of India's western Gujarat state, in the deadly sectarian violence that killed 1,200 people. He was accused of encouraging rioters, or at least refusing to help stop the rioting. A court ruled in 2010 there was insufficient evidence to arrest him.
In 2005, the U.S. declined his visa request, citing a 1998 law that excludes foreigners who committed "particularly severe violations of religious freedom," but in July granted the newly elected prime minister a visa so that he could accept an invitation to visit Washington.
The court summons is not expected to impact Modi's travel plans and five-day visit to the U.S., which includes meetings with senior American officials such as President Barack Obama.
