The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has officially filed a supplementary chargesheet against Hafiz (Hafeez) Muhammad Saeed, the Pakistan-based founder and chief of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror organization. The legal document, submitted on Monday, 6th July, also names its prominent proxy outfit, The Resistance Front (TRF), in connection with the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.

This supplementary filing comes in relation to a brutal attack on 22nd April of last year, when Pakistan-sponsored jihadis targeted and killed 26 Hindu tourists. Following a thorough investigation into the motives behind the violence, the central agency reached a definitive conclusion. According to the agency's conclusion, the tragic incident “involved religion-based targeted killings by the Pak-sponsored terrorists,” confirming that the victims were singled out specifically because of their faith.

The newly compiled chargesheet has been formally submitted before a special NIA court located in Jammu. In the document, the investigative body detailed the exact legal provisions and statutory framework being used to prosecute those behind the assault. The agency mentioned, “The accused has been charged under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. NIA has also invoked the penal section against the accused for waging war against India and hatching a conspiracy from across the border in the charge sheet.”

This supplementary document was made public exactly six months after the agency presented its first comprehensive chargesheet. The initial filing meticulously documented the exact sequence of events, the extensive planning, and the cross-border plot orchestrated by Pakistan-based groups, leaders, and active terrorists that ultimately led to the gruesome killing of the innocent Hindu men. Commenting on the progression of the legal proceedings and the depth of the new evidence, an NIA official informed, “The (supplementary) charge sheet, filed in continuation of the original 1,597-page charge sheet, provides details of Pakistan’s conspiracy, Hafeez Saeed’s role, and supporting evidence collected by NIA in the case through meticulous scientific investigation and on-ground examination.”

In the original 1,597-page chargesheet, the LeT/TRF alliance had already been formally declared as the primary entity responsible for planning, facilitating, and executing the terror strike. The behavioral pattern of the proxy group during the aftermath of the massacre drew significant attention from investigators. Notably, the group initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later claimed otherwise amid fierce pressure due to consistent opposition and condemnation. As investigators dug deeper into the digital footprint and communications of the outfit, the NIA discovered that two specific posts associated with the TRF were directly connected to Pakistan. The first of these digital posts claimed responsibility for the killings, while the second denied any involvement following international outcry and UN Security Council condemnation.

The central agency has emphasized that its work on this file is far from over, as investigators are actively working to expose the full scale of financial and logistical backing that flows from across the border. According to the NIA, the investigations are working to expose Pakistan’s full-scale conspiracy to actively fund terrorists on Indian territory. Highlighting their ongoing operational focus, the agency publicly re-affirmed its commitment to tracing every line of accountability. “NIA continues to probe the case to unravel the complete conspiracy by Pakistan, which has been actively sponsoring terrorism on Indian soil from across the border,” it conveyed.

The groundwork for this supplementary filing rests heavily on the findings of the initial investigation, which unmasked the immediate perpetrators on the ground. The three Pakistani terrorists who killed the tourists, Faisal Jatt, also known as Suleman, Habeeb Tahir alias Jibran Bhai and Hamza Afghani, were named in the NIA’s initial charge sheet. All three of these heavily armed attackers were subsequently neutralised by security forces in tactical operations.

In addition to the operational executioners, the primary legal document featured the name of top Lashkar handler Sajid Jatt. It also exposed the local network that provided the infrastructure necessary for the attackers to operate in the region. The charge sheet identified two local ponywallahs, Bashir Ahmad Jothatd and Parvaiz Ahmad, who were apprehended in June of last year for helping the terrorists with food supplies and logistics, along with TRF leader Sajid Saifullah Jatt, also known as Langda.

The administrative and legal history of the case began immediately after the massacre took place in the valley. The very First Information Report (FIR) was launched at Pahalgam Police Station in the Anantnag district to initiate local law enforcement action. Recognizing the gravity and transnational scale of the crime, the Ministry of Home Affairs then forwarded the case to the NIA following an initial probe by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. In direct response to the tragedy and to ensure a decisive counter-terrorism protocol, India also initiated “Operation Sindoor” to dismantle Pakistan’s terror infrastructure following the attack.