In a major development on the anti-terror front, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed charges against Pakistan-based terrorist and founder of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hafiz Saeed, in connection with the heinous Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 unarmed civilians were killed by terrorists.

In its supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, the anti-terror agency has charged Hafiz Saeed in his individual capacity as well as in his capacity as the chief of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its active proxy organisation, The Resistance Front (TRF).

The accused has been charged under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The NIA has also invoked provisions relating to waging war against India and criminal conspiracy allegedly hatched from across the border.

The supplementary chargesheet, filed in continuation of the original 1,597-page chargesheet, details Pakistan’s conspiracy, Hafiz Saeed’s role, and the supporting evidence collected by the NIA through meticulous scientific investigation and extensive on-ground examination.

In its earlier chargesheet filed on December 15, 2025, the NIA had chargesheeted Pakistani terrorist handler Sajid Jatt, along with three terrorists who were killed by security forces during Operation Mahadev in July 2025, as well as two arrested accused. The agency had also chargesheeted the proscribed LeT/TRF terrorist organisation as a legal entity for its role in planning, facilitating, and executing the Pahalgam terror attack.

The deadly attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, involved religion-based targeted killings carried out by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Twenty-five innocent tourists and one local civilian were killed in the attack. An FIR (No. 25/2025) was initially registered at Police Station Pahalgam in Anantnag district. Following the initial investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the case was transferred to the NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The NIA said it continues to investigate Case RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU to unravel the complete conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan, which has been actively sponsoring terrorism on Indian soil from across the border.

Conspiracy orchestrated by handlers linked to LeT

The supplementary chargesheet, submitted after an extensive investigation, details what the agency describes as a meticulously planned cross-border conspiracy orchestrated by handlers linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF). According to the NIA, both technical and human intelligence have established “clear and compelling evidence” linking the three attackers to their handlers in Pakistan.

According to the chargesheet, the first claim of responsibility for the attack was posted on a Telegram channel named “Kashmir Fight”. Technical analysis traced the channel’s IP address to Battagram in Pakistan.

After the United Nations Security Council condemned the killings, the TRF claimed that its Telegram channel had been hacked and denied any involvement.

A second Telegram channel, “TheResistanceFront_Official”, was traced to Rawalpindi. Investigators said the sequence of events indicated a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at portraying the massacre as a “false flag” operation after international scrutiny intensified.

The NIA has also cited forensic evidence obtained from two mobile phones recovered from two of the three terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev.

Supply chain data obtained from Xiaomi confirmed that both devices were sold and delivered in Pakistan.

One handset was delivered to Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate in Kot Lakhpat, Lahore, while the second was traced to Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi.

According to investigators, the evidence provides strong proof of logistical support and operational planning from Pakistani territory.

The chargesheet states that Sajid Jatt established an extensive network of overground workers (OGWs) in South Kashmir and used it to execute multiple terror attacks. According to the NIA, the same network was activated to facilitate the Pahalgam massacre.

The agency further alleges that following the abrogation of Article 370, Sajid played a key role in creating the TRF as Lashkar-e-Taiba’s local proxy in an attempt to portray Pakistan-backed terrorism as an indigenous insurgency.

He is also accused of overseeing the cross-border smuggling of arms and narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir using drones.

A witness statement cited in the chargesheet said the three terrorists spoke in Urdu with a Punjabi accent and repeatedly referred to “Jatt @ Ali” while staying at a local shelter before the attack.

The witness told investigators that the terrorists were discussing the forthcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra, nearby security camps, and troop movements, suggesting they were gathering intelligence for future strikes.

Investigators further stated that Sajid, who reportedly lost a leg in an encounter and now uses a prosthetic limb, dispatched the three terrorists towards Besaran Valley between April 15 and 16, indicating that the conspiracy was finalised just days before the massacre.

The NIA said the supplementary chargesheet exposes not only the operational role of Pakistan-based handlers but also what it describes as a sophisticated propaganda campaign designed to mislead the international community and conceal the direct involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba and the TRF in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.