A United States Court has dismissed a $100-million lawsuit filed against PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the litigants - a separatist Kashmir Khalistan outfit & 2 associates - failed to appear before it at 2 scheduled hearings.

The suit was filed on Sept 19, 2019, days before Modi's historic "Howdy, Modi!" event in Houston, Texas. It challenged the Indian Parliament's decision on Jammu & Kashmir that abrogated the special privileges of the state & carved out 2 union territories & sought a compensation of $100 million from Modi, Shah & Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon.

Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon is currently serving as the Director-General Defence Intelligence Agency & Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff under the Chief of Defence Staff.

"Other than that attempted service," Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front "have done nothing to prosecute this case", & have now failed to appear at two duly set Scheduling Conferences, US District Court Southern District of Texas Judge Frances H Stacy said in his order dated Oct 6 & recommended that the case be dismissed.

The case was terminated by Judge Andrew S Hanen of the US District Court in Texas on Oct 22.

Apart from the Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front, the other two complainants have not been identified, other than the acronyms 'TFK' & 'SMS'. The suing party was represented by separatist lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

The Indian Parliament passed legislation last year changing the status of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, modifying provisions that have been an obstacle to economic development & promoted a sense of separatism.

PM Modi, accompanied by US President Donald Trump, had addressed a crowd of over 50,000 Indian-Americans at the "Howdy, Modi!" event in Houston on Sept 22, 2019.

As per Court records, Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front was able to serve the summons to Modi, Shah & Dhillon at the Indian Consulate in Houston on Feb 18, 2020.

A conference was set by the court for Aug 2. A 2nd conference was scheduled on Oct 6.

Judge Stacy said that representatives of the Kashmir Khalistan Referendum Front failed to appear for the conference as such he recommended that the lawsuit be dismissed. Two weeks later, Judge Hanen terminated the case.

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