A Jammu court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), in connection with the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The order follows a supplementary chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 6, naming Saeed as the alleged mastermind.
NIA pushes for trial in absentia
The NIA argued that Saeed, currently in Pakistan, has evaded arrest and that all legal avenues for extradition have been exhausted. The agency stated that judicial proceedings should proceed without his physical presence, citing provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for trials in absentia for serious offenses.
The NIA’s application noted that Saeed played a central role in orchestrating the Pahalgam attack, which it claims was planned in Pakistan. The agency has also linked him to previous terrorist attacks against India.
Legal process and next steps
Under the BNSS, courts can conduct trials in absentia if an accused is outside India, deliberately avoids appearing, and sufficient evidence exists. The process requires summons and warrants to be issued first. If the accused fails to appear, they may be declared a proclaimed offender, allowing proceedings to continue.
The NIA’s initial chargesheet named three Pakistani terrorists—Suleman, Jibran, and Hamza Afghani—as accused, along with LeT operative Sajid Saifullah Jatt and Pahalgam residents Bashir Hai Ahmed and Parvez Ahmed. The investigation into the attack remains ongoing.
