NIA files chargesheet against seven accused in Pahalgam terror attack case
The chargesheet, running into 1,597 pages, has been submitted before a special NIA court in Jammu and names Pakistan-based terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and The Resistance Front (TRF) for their role in the attack.
According to the NIA, the chargesheet details the larger Pakistan-sponsored conspiracy, the specific roles played by the accused, and extensive corroborative evidence collected during the investigation.
It states that the banned LeT and its proxy outfit TRF were directly involved in planning, facilitating and executing the Pahalgam terror attack.
The agency has alleged that the attack was carried out by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists who targeted civilians on religious lines, resulting in the death of 25 Hindu tourists and one local civilian.
The chargesheet names Pakistani terrorist Sajid Jatt as a key accused and outlines his role in orchestrating the attack from across the border.
It also includes details about three Pakistani terrorists who were neutralised by Indian security forces during ‘Operation Mahadev’ in Dachigam near Srinagar in July, weeks after the attack. The slain terrorists have been identified as Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habib Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani.
The NIA has invoked stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Arms Act, 1959, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, against the accused, as well as against the terror organisations LeT and TRF.
The agency said the evidence collected establishes the involvement of the terror networks in providing logistics, weapons, safe houses and ideological support to carry out the attack.
In a related development, the NIA arrested two more accused — Parvez Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad — on June 22 for allegedly providing shelter and logistical assistance to the terrorists. A separate chargesheet has also been filed against them for harbouring terrorists and aiding the conspiracy.
The Pahalgam terror attack had sent shockwaves across the country and drew widespread condemnation. With the filing of the chargesheet, the NIA said it remains committed to ensuring that all those involved in acts of terrorism, including handlers and facilitators operating from abroad, are brought to justice.
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