'Waging war against India': NIA names Pak handler in Pahalgam case; chargesheet filed

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed its chargesheet in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case against seven accused, including a Pakistani handler, terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), and others.

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The anti-terror agency presented the chargesheet before the NIA Special Court in Jammu.




The 1,597-page chargesheet named the handler, Sajid Jatt, along with three Pakistani terrorists neutralised by security forces during Operation Mahadev at Dachigam in Srinagar in July. They have been identified as Faisal Jatt alias Suleman Shah, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran, and Hamza Afghani.



Further, the chargesheet has arraigned the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and The Resistance Front (TRF) as legal entities for their role in planning, facilitating and executing the Pahalgam assault. It has also invoked the penal section against the accused for waging war against India.

The development comes nearly six months after the agency arrested two men for harbouring the terrorists who carried out the deadly attack.

The men — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar — were arrested on June 22 for harbouring the terrorists, and have been named in the chargesheet. During interrogation, the duo had reportedly disclosed the identities of the attackers and confirmed they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the proscribed LeT.

Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor

On April 22, the three heavily armed terrorists shot dead 26 civilians — all men — including a local and a tourist from Nepal, in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley.

Also Read | Army displays Turkish drone used by Pak during Op Sindoor; was going to hit JalandharAfter announcing a series of diplomatic measures, India responded with Operation Sindoor, carrying out airstrikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7. The strikes triggered intense cross-border clashes that were halted after Islamabad sought a ceasefire on May 10.

(With PTI inputs)
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