NIA files supplementary chargesheet against Hafiz Saeed in Pahalgam terror attack case

Saeed has also been charged with waging war against India and hatching a conspiracy from across the border (Picture credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet against Pakistan-based terrorist Hafiz Saeed in the Pahalgam terror attack case, formally naming him as an accused for orchestrating the cross-border conspiracy, the agency said on Monday. Saeed has been charged in his individual capacity as well as in his role as the chief of the banned terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy organisation, The Resistance Front (TRF). The supplementary chargesheet was filed before the NIA special court in Jammu in continuation of the agency's original 1,597-page chargesheet. It details Pakistan's alleged conspiracy, Hafiz Saeed's role and the evidence collected during the investigation through scientific analysis and on-ground examination, the NIA said. The anti-terror agency has invoked various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. According to the NIA, Saeed has also been charged with waging war against India and hatching a conspiracy from across the border. The original chargesheet, filed in December last year, had named LeT/TRF among seven accused. Investigators established the involvement of LeT/TRF after tracing the origin of two messages posted on TRF's digital platforms—one claiming responsibility for the attack shortly after it took place and another later denying involvement—to Pakistan. The earlier chargesheet also named top Lashkar handler Sajid Jatt, three Pakistani terrorists identified as Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran and Abu Hamza, along with arrested Kashmiri locals Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothad, who allegedly provided shelter to the attackers before the assault. The case stems from the April 22, 2025 attack in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam, where three terrorists opened fire on tourists, killing 26 civilians, most of them visitors. The incident triggered a major national security response and a wider investigation into cross-border terror networks.

India’s military response: Operation Sindoor

In response to the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, carrying out coordinated tri-services strikes on nine terror-linked sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The government described the strikes as “focused, measured and non-escalatory”, with only terror infrastructure targeted and no Pakistani military facilities struck. The operation destroyed major launchpads linked to LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. Alongside the military action, India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals, tightening diplomatic pressure. The strikes triggered a brief but intense escalation, with Pakistan responding through drone attacks and shelling. India carried out retaliatory strikes, including targeting radar installations in Lahore and near Gujranwala.

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Hostilities eased on May 10 after both sides agreed to halt military action following communication between their directors general of military operations. The NIA continues its investigation into the wider conspiracy and terror network behind the Pahalgam attack.