Sikh group gets court nod for summons to Sonia

A Sikh rights group on Tuesday secured a summons from a United States judge to be served on Congress President Sonia Gandhi at a hospital where she is believed to be under medical care in a case filed against her for "shielding and protecting" party leaders allegedly involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

A class action suit against Gandhi was filed by Sikhs for Justice, a US-based human rights group, along with victims of the November 1984 under Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victim Protection Act.

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.

Sixty-six year-old Gandhi, who had undergone a surgery in the US for an undisclosed ailment on August 5, 2011, had flown there for a check-up in February and again on September 2 last year.