NIA Court Issues Non-Bailable Warrant Against LeT Founder Hafiz Saeed in Pahalgam Attack Case

A special court in Jammu has issued a non-bailable warrant against Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based chief of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), in connection with the investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people in April last year.

The order was passed on July 8 by the special judge of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court, two days after the NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet against Saeed in the same case. The chargesheet, filed before the court in Jammu, names Saeed in both his personal capacity and as the chief of the proscribed outfits LeT and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF). He has been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

According to the court order, the NIA informed the court that Saeed, who is absconding and a resident of Sargodha in Pakistan's Punjab province, has been deliberately evading arrest. The agency requested the issuance of an open-dated non-bailable warrant to enable further legal proceedings and potential action in the course of investigation.

"Arrest and custodial interrogation of the accused (Saeed) are necessary for a fair, complete and effective investigation. As such non-bailable warrant of arrest is issued against him and is forwarded it to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), NIA Jammu, for execution in accordance with law," the order stated.

The Pahalgam attack occurred on April 22 last year, when terrorists targeted tourists in the south Kashmir resort town, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, mostly tourists. The attack was one of the deadliest in the region in recent years.

Saeed, now 76, is a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an organisation designated as a terrorist group by India, the United States, and several other countries. He is also wanted in connection with the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which claimed over 160 lives. The United Nations has listed him as a global terrorist.

The NIA, which has been investigating the Pahalgam case, said Saeed's arrest and custodial interrogation are needed to ensure a thorough investigation. The warrant has been forwarded to the deputy inspector general of the NIA in Jammu for execution.

India has repeatedly sought the extradition of Saeed from Pakistan, but Islamabad has taken no action, citing lack of evidence. The latest warrant is part of ongoing efforts by Indian agencies to bring the accused to justice in the Pahalgam case.