An United States court has issued summons against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his alleged role in Gujarat during the 2002 riots when he was chief minister of the state.

The federal court in New York's summons comes hours before Modi is supposed to start off his five-day US trip, which comes after a nine-year visa ban, reports India Today.

The lawsuit, filed by the American Justice Centre, a non-profit organisation identified among the plaintiffs "two survivors of the horrific and organised violence of Gujarat 2002", and called for a response from Modi based on the Alien Tort Claims Act and the Torture Victim Protection Act.

Reports said the summons issued by the federal court of southern district of New York requires the PM to respond within 21 days after it is served.