New York: Hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in New York for his landmark 5-day visit to the US, he was greeted by a summon from a court in the city over his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was the chief minister of the state. Incidentally, Modi's visit to the US came after a nine-year visa ban imposed by the White House for his alleged failure to prevent the killing of over a thousand Muslims in February and March, 2002. Reports said the summons issued by the Federal Court of Southern District of New York requires the Prime Minister to respond within 21 days after it is served. The New York based American Justice Centre (AJC) obtained the summons from the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York in a suit filed with two survivors of what it called the "horrific and organized violence of Gujarat 2002."

Filed under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA), the 28-page complaint charges Modi with "committing crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings, torture and inflicting mental and physical trauma on the victims, mostly from the Muslim community." AJC said it is providing legal support and advice to the survivors in their effort to hold "Modi accountable for his complicity in the violence." The survivors are suing Modi for the loss of lives and trauma in their families, and caused emotional, financial and psychological devastation in their lives. "The Tort Case against Prime Minister Modi is an unequivocal message to human rights abusers everywhere," said John Bradley, an AJC director. "Time and place and the trappings of power will not be an impediment to justice," he said.

The Alien Tort Claims Act, also known as Alien Tort Statute (ATS), is a US federal law first adopted in 1789 that gives the federal courts jurisdiction to hear lawsuits filed by US residents for acts committed in violation of international law outside the US, AJC said. Sikhs for Justice, another human rights group, plans to hold a "Citizens' Court" in a park in front of the White House to try Modi for his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat riots, when he holds a summit meeting with President Barack Obama on September 29. The group has routinely obtained such summons against visiting Indian leaders, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress party president Sonia Gandhi. Yet another group, Alliance for Justice and Accountability (AJA) plans to show Modi black flags when he heads for the Indian-American community's public reception at the Madison Square Garden in mid-town Manhattan on September 28.