Pahalgam attack: LeT chief named in NIA's supplementary chargesheet
What's the story
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case, naming Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed as an accused. The chargesheet was filed before an NIA special court in Jammu and is a continuation of the agency's original 1,597-page document. It outlines Pakistan's alleged conspiracy and Saeed's role in orchestrating the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 people.
Legal charges
Saeed charged under BNS, UAPA
Saeed has been chargesheeted both in his individual capacity and as the head of LeT and its proxy organization, The Resistance Front (TRF). He has been charged under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The NIA alleges that Saeed conspired from Pakistan to wage war against India and played a key role in planning the attack.
Attack details
Attack killed 26 people, including 25 tourists
The Pahalgam terror attack killed 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local civilian. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. The NIA's investigation into the case is still ongoing as it probes a wider cross-border terror network allegedly responsible for planning and executing the attack.
Initial findings
Original chargesheet named 7 accused
The original chargesheet, filed in December last year, had named seven accused, including LeT/TRF. Investigators linked the attack to LeT/TRF after tracing two messages on TRF's digital platforms to Pakistan. One message claimed responsibility for the attack immediately after it happened while another later denied involvement. The message was reportedly circulated through a TRF-linked handle called "Kashmir Fight" and explicitly referenced the attack using the hashtag #PahalgamAttack.
Accused list
Earlier chargesheet also named these persons
The earlier chargesheet also named top Lashkar handler Sajid Jatt and three Pakistani terrorists, Faisal Jatt, alias Suleman Shah; Habeeb Tahir, alias Jibran; and Abu Hamza. The three terrorists were killed in an encounter on July 28 in the Dachigam forest outside Srinagar, according to the NIA's 1,597-page chargesheet. It further named arrested Kashmiri locals Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad for allegedly providing shelter to the attackers before the assault.