The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to file its chargesheet on Monday in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case, marking a crucial milestone in the probe into the strikes in Jammu and Kashmir,
sources familiar with the investigation said.
According to sources, the chargesheet will formally name three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)-linked terrorists who were neutralised during the counter-terror operation codenamed Operation Mahadev. Investigators believe the filing will firmly establish that the Pahalgam attack was not an isolated incident but part of Lashkar’s wider, coordinated terror strategy in Kashmir.
Sources said the NIA has concluded that two of the slain terrorists received active assistance from local individuals belonging to families from the Gujjar–Bakkarwal community. The agency has, however, underlined that the findings pertain to specific individuals and not the community as a whole. These local facilitators allegedly provided temporary shelter, logistical support and crucial on-ground guidance that helped the terrorists evade security forces and move across forested terrain ahead of the attack, sources added.
The third accused named in the chargesheet is likely to be Sajid Jatt, identified by investigators as an active Lashkar-e-Taiba operative operating under the direction of cross-border handlers. According to sources, Sajid Jatt played a key role in coordinating the module, maintaining communication with handlers across the border and ensuring operational support for the attackers.
The chargesheet reportedly lays out in detail how local support networks formed a critical link in the terror conspiracy, enabling the terrorists to arrange hideouts, plan movement routes and sustain themselves before carrying out the Pahalgam attack. Investigators have relied on a combination of digital forensics, call detail records, electronic devices recovered during operations and corroborating on-ground evidence to establish the conspiracy and the provision of material support, sources said.
The NIA has invoked stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), underscoring the gravity of the charges and reinforcing the agency’s assessment that the attack was orchestrated as part of Lashkar’s broader campaign to destabilise the region.
Officials familiar with the probe said Operation Mahadev not only led to the elimination of the shooters involved in the Pahalgam attack but also helped expose the larger ecosystem that sustains terrorism in Kashmir — from cross-border handlers to local facilitators. The agency believes the chargesheet will strengthen future prosecutions by clearly mapping the terror network and its support structures, sources added.
