In a significant development in the investigation into the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, a court in Jammu has issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed, enabling the legal process to move towards a trial in absentia.
The order follows a supplementary chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 6, in which Saeed was named as an accused. The agency has alleged that the Pakistan-based terror leader masterminded the April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them tourists.
While seeking the warrant, the NIA told the court that Saeed was intentionally avoiding arrest and requested the issuance of an open-dated non-bailable warrant to facilitate further legal proceedings and investigation.
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The agency informed the court that Saeed is currently in Pakistan and that securing his appearance before an Indian court is not feasible.
The NIA further submitted that all available legal avenues to secure his extradition from Pakistan had been effectively exhausted, making it necessary for judicial proceedings to continue without his physical presence.
According to the agency, the Pahalgam terror attack was planned from Pakistan, with Saeed playing a key role in the larger conspiracy. Investigators have also linked him to several previous terrorist attacks carried out in India.
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Under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), courts can proceed with a trial in absentia if an accused is outside the country, deliberately evading the judicial process, and sufficient evidence exists to prosecute them for serious offences.
Before initiating such proceedings, the court must issue summons and warrants. If the accused still fails to appear, they can be declared a proclaimed offender, allowing the trial to continue in their absence.
In its initial chargesheet, the NIA named three Pakistani terrorists — Suleman, Jibran and Hamza Afghani — along with Pakistan-based LeT operative Sajid Saifullah Jatt and two Pahalgam residents, Bashir Hai Ahmed and Parvez Ahmed, as accused in the case.
The investigation into the Pahalgam attack remains ongoing, with the NIA continuing to examine the wider cross-border conspiracy behind one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
