NIA Charges LeT Chief Hafiz Saeed in Pahalgam Terror Attack Case, Invokes Waging War Against India Charges

NEW DELHI, JULY 7 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday filed a supplementary chargesheet against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed in connection with the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, charging him with waging war against India and conspiring from across the border to orchestrate the deadly assault. Saeed, a globally designated terrorist and the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has been charged both in his individual capacity and as the chief of the banned LeT and its proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF). The supplementary chargesheet was filed before the Special NIA Court in Jammu under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. GeographicReference In a statement, the NIA said it had also invoked provisions related to waging war against India, alleging that Saeed masterminded the conspiracy from Pakistan. The chargesheet includes details of Pakistan’s alleged role, Saeed’s involvement, and evidence gathered through scientific investigation and extensive on-ground examination. According to the agency, Saeed co-founded LeT in the late 1980s and has led one of South Asia’s most active terrorist organisations targeting India. To finance terror activities and evade international sanctions, he allegedly established front organisations, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and the Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), which were used for radicalisation and terror funding. Saeed has been designated a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council, as well as by India and the United States. The supplementary chargesheet follows the original 1,597-page chargesheet filed by the NIA on December 15 last year, which named Pakistani handler Sajid Jatt, three terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev in July 2025, and two arrested accused—Parvaiz Ahmad and Bashir Ahmad Jothar—for allegedly providing logistical support to the attackers. The earlier chargesheet also named the banned LeT/TRF as a legal entity for its alleged role in planning, facilitating and executing the Pahalgam terror attack. The April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claimed the lives of 25 tourists and one local civilian in what the NIA described as religion-based targeted killings carried out by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. State& Local Government The case was initially registered at Pahalgam Police Station in Anantnag district before being transferred to the NIA by the Ministry of Home Affairs following preliminary investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The NIA said investigations are continuing to uncover the full extent of the cross-border conspiracy behind the attack.