New Delhi: In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a detailed chargesheet in the terror attack that struck Pahalgam on April 22, formally accusing seven parties, including the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its front organization, The Resistance Front (TRF).
Submitted before a special NIA court in Jammu, the 1,597-page document marks a notable first by charging LeT as a legal entity itself, rather than solely targeting its individual leaders—a departure from previous cases, such as the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, where figures like Hafiz Mohammad Saeed were named.
Investigators established LeT/TRF’s involvement by tracing messages posted on TRF’s digital platforms—one initially claiming responsibility for the assault and a subsequent denial—directly to origins in Pakistan.
Among the accused is prominent Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt, a key LeT operative also designated as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The chargesheet further names three neutralized Pakistani militants who executed the attack: Faisal Jatt (alias Suleman Shah) from Punjab, Pakistan; Habeeb Tahir (alias Jibran) from Rawlakote in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir; and Abu Hamza.
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Two local residents from Kashmir, Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad, who were arrested earlier, are accused of providing shelter and support to the Pakistani attackers in the days leading up to the incident.
An eight-month probe uncovered evidence pointing to a broader conspiracy orchestrated from Pakistan, including items recovered from the militants’ hideout—such as identification documents, M4 assault rifles, and other belongings—after they were eliminated during Operation Mahadev in July.
The accused face serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, and UAPA, including waging war against India. The NIA emphasized that the document outlines the roles of each party and supporting evidence in the case.