New Delhi: In a significant step in the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, a Jammu court has issued a non bailable warrant against Lashkar e Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed after the National Investigation Agency named him as the alleged mastermind in a supplementary chargesheet. Investigators have also sought to prosecute Saeed through a trial in absentia under recently introduced legal provisions, citing his continued presence in Pakistan and his failure to appear before an Indian court.
The April terror attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them civilians, making it one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. The NIA’s supplementary chargesheet details Saeed’s alleged role in planning and overseeing the operation, while also including additional forensic evidence gathered during the investigation.
The agency had earlier filed its first chargesheet in December 2025, naming the three terrorists who carried out the attack. All three were later killed during Operation Mahadev, a joint operation conducted by the Indian Army, the Central Reserve Police Force, and Jammu and Kashmir Police. One of the slain terrorists, identified as Suleiman, was described as a senior Lashkar commander who was allegedly attempting to flee to Pakistan.
The NIA informed the court that repeated efforts to secure Saeed’s presence had failed and argued that all available legal mechanisms to bring him to India had been exhausted. Based on this, the agency requested permission to proceed with a trial in absentia.
Under the new legal provision, courts can conduct proceedings without the accused being physically present if they have deliberately evaded the judicial process after summons and warrants have been issued. Once declared a fugitive, the accused can face trial based on the available evidence.
Apart from Saeed, the investigation has also named Pakistan based Lashkar operative Sajid Saifullah Jatt and two Pahalgam residents, Bashir Ahmed and Parvez Ahmed, who are accused of assisting the terrorists in executing the attack.
