India accuses LeT founder Hafiz Saeed in Kashmir attack incident

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the Pakistan-based banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as the principal accused in the case related to the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. On Monday (July 6), the NIA submitted a supplementary chargesheet before a special court in Jammu against Hafiz Saeed and LeT's proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF).

An NIA spokesperson said the supplementary chargesheet forms part of the original 1,597-page chargesheet submitted earlier. According to the agency, Hafiz Saeed has been charged under several stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967. Additional charges have also been brought against him for waging war against India and conspiring to carry out cross-border terrorist activities.

The attack, carried out on April 22, 2025, in Pahalgam, claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

According to a report by The Hindu, the supplementary chargesheet is based on meticulous scientific investigation and extensive field evidence. It alleges that the overall blueprint of the attack was orchestrated from Pakistan and identifies Hafiz Saeed as playing a direct role.

The NIA had filed the original chargesheet in the case on December 15, 2025. At that time, Pakistani terrorist handler Sajid Jatt and three other militants were named as accused. The three militants were later killed during Operation Mahadev, conducted by Indian security forces in July 2025. In addition, two local civilians accused of providing logistical support and shelter to the attackers were arrested and included in the original chargesheet.

In the latest filing, the NIA has not only named individuals but has also charged both Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front as legal entities, alleging their direct involvement in planning and executing the Pahalgam attack.

Following the attack, an FIR was initially registered at Pahalgam Police Station in Anantnag district of Kashmir. After a preliminary investigation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the case was transferred to the NIA on the instructions of India's Ministry of Home Affairs.

The central investigating agency reiterated on Monday that it will continue its probe with the objective of dismantling what it described as a deep-rooted cross-border terrorist conspiracy allegedly backed by Pakistan and directed against Indian territory.