Pahalgam terror attack: NIA may file charge-sheet today
Jammu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to file the charge sheet in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case at the special NIA court in Jammu on Monday, ahead of the expiry of the 180-day statutory deadline under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
NIA sources said the agency decided to file the charge sheet in the designated court in Jammu as the deadline, calculated from the date of the first arrests, ends on December 18.
The NIA arrested two residents of the Pahalgam area, Bashir Ahmad Jothar and Parvez Ahmad Jothar on June 22, nearly two months after terrorists killed 25 tourists and a local pony owner at the Baisaran meadow.
According to the agency, the two accused harboured and provided logistical support to three Pakistani terrorists namely Suleiman Shah, Hamza Afghani alias Afghani, and Jibran who carried out the attack. NIA sources confirmed that the agency is filing the charge sheet within the stipulated time frame.
The court had earlier granted the NIA an additional 45 days beyond the initial 90-day investigation period. Terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), are likely to be named in the charge sheet.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier confirmed in Parliament that Pakistan-based terrorists affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) carried out the attack.
Investigators recovered Pakistani contact numbers from the mobile phones of the arrested accused, which officials say are key to uncovering the wider conspiracy. The NIA also conducted forensic examinations of materials recovered from the killed terrorists with assistance from the National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
So far, the agency has questioned over 1,000 people, including tourists, pony owners, photographers, shopkeepers, and local employees. The NIA informed the court that further forensic analysis, mobile data examination, and verification of additional suspects are underway to establish the full extent of the terror network and the role of overground workers.
The Pahalgam terror attack triggered nationwide outrage, following which Prime Minister Narendra Modi granted the Armed Forces operational freedom. Under Operation Sindoor, Indian forces destroyed nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including sites in Muridke, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad.
Indian forces did not target any military installations until Pakistan escalated the situation by attacking civilian and military facilities. In retaliation, the Indian Armed Forces damaged 11 military bases inside Pakistan without crossing the border.