NIA names Hafiz Saeed as accused in Pahalgam attack chargesheet, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed in a supplementary chargesheet for the Pahalgam terror attack.
• Hafiz Saeed is charged in his individual capacity and as the chief of LeT and its proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF).
• The chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court in Jammu, invoking sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
• The Pahalgam attack, which occurred on April 22, 2025, resulted in the deaths of 26 people.

Detailed Insights:

• Hafiz Saeed has been charged with waging war against India and hatching a conspiracy from across the border.
• A dossier attached to the chargesheet details Saeed's involvement in major terror attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.
• Saeed was designated a global terrorist by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 on December 10, 2008.
• An Interpol Red Corner Notice was issued against him on August 28, 2009, for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
• In India, Hafiz Saeed was designated as a terrorist on September 4, 2019.
• The chargesheet relies on evidence such as Android phones bought in Pakistan, found at the encounter site where three terrorists were killed.
• The NIA continues to investigate the broader conspiracy by Pakistan in sponsoring terrorism on Indian soil.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Investigation Agency (NIA): India's primary counter-terrorism law enforcement agency, established to combat terror-related crimes.
• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): The new criminal code of India, which replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 2023.
• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA): An Indian law aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India.
• UN Security Council Resolution 1267: A UN resolution establishing a sanctions regime against individuals and entities associated with designated terrorist groups.