Pahalgam terror attack: NIA files 1,597 page chargesheet against LeT, TRF and seven accused
PTC Web Desk: Nearly eight months after the Pahalgam Terror Attack that left 26 persons dead, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against seven accused, including five individuals and two Pakistan-based terror outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy group, The Resistance Front (TRF).
The extensive chargesheet, running into 1,597 pages, lays out Pakistan’s alleged role in orchestrating the attack and details the planning, execution and logistical support provided by LeT and TRF. The agency has charged the outfits with conspiring to carry out the massacre, citing evidence gathered during the probe.
According to the NIA, senior LeT commander Sajid Jatt acted as the principal handler of the Pahalgam attack. Jatt, who has been operating under multiple aliases, including Saifullah, Numi, Numan, Langda, Ali Sajid, Usman Habib and Shani, was designated an “individual terrorist” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in October 2022.
The chargesheet also names three Pakistani terrorists, Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani, who were killed in a police encounter near Srinagar in July this year. Investigators have identified them as key operatives involved in the Pahalgam carnage.
In addition, the NIA has chargesheeted two more suspects, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad, who were arrested on June 22 for allegedly providing shelter to the three terrorists. During interrogation, the duo reportedly confirmed the terrorists’ Pakistani nationality and their affiliation with LeT.
All accused, along with LeT and TRF, have been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, the Arms Act, 1959, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The agency has also invoked charges related to waging war against India.
Investigative agencies believe Sajid Jatt is operating from Lashkar-e-Taiba’s headquarters in Islamabad. He is described as the operational chief of TRF and is believed to be deeply involved in recruitment, terror financing and infiltration of militants into Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials have linked Jatt to several major attacks in recent years, including the Dhangri massacre in 2023, the assault on an Indian Air Force convoy in Poonch in May 2024, and the Reasi bus attack in June 2024. He is also accused of providing logistical and operational backing to so-called hybrid terrorists operating in the Valley.
Security agencies consider Sajid Jatt one of the most formidable figures within the terror network active in Kashmir.
- With inputs from agencies
