Jammu, Dec 15, KNT: The National Investigation Agency on Monday filed a chargesheet against seven accused, including the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and its offshoot The Resistance Front, in connection with the deadly Pahalgam attack that left 25 tourists and one local civilian dead.
Filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, the 1,597-page chargesheet lays out what the agency described as a detailed account of Pakistan-backed conspiracy, the roles of individual accused, and the supporting evidence collected during the investigation. The NIA has, for the first time in the case, chargesheeted the banned LeT/TRF as a legal entity for its alleged role in planning, facilitating, and executing the attack.
According to the agency, the attack involved religion-based targeted killings carried out by Pak-sponsored militants. The chargesheet names Pakistan-based handler Sajid Jatt as an accused and details his alleged role in coordinating the operation from across the border.
Join our WhatsApp Group
The chargesheet also names three Pakistani militants who were killed by Indian security forces during Operation Mahadev at Dachigam in Srinagar in July 2025, weeks after the Pahalgam attack. They have been identified as Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani.
📢 8,000+ readers already joined for instant Kashmir News Trust updates
Join our Telegram Channel
The NIA said LeT/TRF and the four militants have been charged under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the Arms Act 1959, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967. Penal provisions relating to waging war against India have also been invoked.
The agency said its investigation, spanning nearly eight months and involving scientific and technical analysis, traced the conspiracy in case RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU to Pakistan, which it accused of persistently sponsoring militancy against India.
Two local accused, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothatd, who were arrested by the NIA on June 22, 2025, for allegedly harbouring militants, have also been chargesheeted. During interrogation, the NIA said, the duo disclosed the identities of the three armed militants involved in the attack and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed LeT outfit.
The NIA said further investigation in the case is continuing to identify additional links and facilitators involved in the attack. [KNT]
