NIA Chargesheet Names Pak Handler in Pahalgam Attack Case
NIA Chargesheet Names Pak Handler in Pahalgam Attack Case
NIA files chargesheet in Pahalgam terror attack, naming Sajid Jutt and LeT-TRF links, signaling a major step in prosecuting cross-border terrorism.
The National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case before a special court in Jammu on December 15, 2025, naming seven accused, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its proxy The Resistance Front (TRF). The agency identifies Pakistani national Sajid Saifullah Jutt as the mastermind and direct handler behind the assault that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, when attackers struck Pahalgam on April 22.
Investigators say the Pakistan-based team entered India to carry out the killings and were modernized by a network that included local supporters. The two locals, Bashir Ahmad Jothar and Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar, harbored the attackers, providing food, shelter, and logistical support that aided the operation. The three Pakistani terrorists were later killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Dachigam-Harwan forest belt near Srinagar on July 28, in what authorities described as part of a broader crackdown on cross-border terrorism.
The chargesheet draws on a range of evidence, including end-to-end encrypted communications and digital identifiers recovered from mobile devices, linking the LeT and its proxy to the planning and execution of the attack. Officials say the probe involved interviewing over a thousand people and compiling extensive forensics to establish the sequence of events and the networks behind them. The case is seen as a significant shift in how such terrorism cases are pursued, underscoring the nexus between group affiliates and their overseas operatives.
The development comes amid ongoing security concerns and a broader push to counter cross-border terror networks. The chargesheet is expected to lay out the roles of each accused and the evidence tying them to the April 22 attack, as prosecutors prepare for the court proceedings that will determine accountability and justice for the victims and their families.
Cover image source: Pakistan security forces kill three TTP terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 🔗
