NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will file a chargesheet on Monday in the Pahalgam terror attack case, in which 26 people were shot dead by Pakistan-based terrorists.
The chargesheet is scheduled to be submitted before a special court in Jammu later in the day, officials said, marking a crucial stage in the investigation into the brutal attack that targeted tourists in Jammu and Kashmir.
The development comes nearly seven months after the NIA arrested two men for allegedly sheltering the terrorists responsible for the attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent tourists and left 16 others seriously injured.
The arrested men — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar of Batkote in Pahalgam and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park in Pahalgam — reportedly revealed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the massacre. They also confirmed that the attackers were Pakistani nationals linked to the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Investigations have shown that the duo had knowingly provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) in Hill Park ahead of the attack. On the day of the incident, the terrorists selectively targeted tourists based on their religious identity, making it one of the most heinous terror attacks in recent years.
The NIA arrested the two accused under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The case, registered as RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU, pertains to the April 22, 2025 attack that sent shockwaves across the country.
In July, three terrorists — Suleman, Hamza Afghani (Afghan) and Zibran — were neutralised in a joint operation carried out by the Indian Army, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Jammu and Kashmir Police under Operation Mahadev in the Dachigam area of Kashmir.
Suleman was an ‘A’ category commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba and was involved in the terror attacks in Pahalgam and Gagangir. Hamza Afghani and Zibran were also ‘A’ category LeT terrorists who were responsible for the killing of innocent civilians in Baisaran Valley.
