NIA court issues arrest warrant for LeT founder Hafiz Saeed in Pahalgam case
JAMMU, Jul 14 — A special NIA court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed in connection with the ongoing investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack.
The order was issued on July 8, following a supplementary chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency against Saeed. The 76-year-old global terrorist, who is also the mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been charged both personally and as the head of the proscribed terror outfit and its proxy front, The Resistance Front.
The agency informed the court that Saeed, currently residing in Sargodha in Pakistan’s Punjab province, has been deliberately evading arrest. He faces multiple charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.
The court noted that his arrest and custodial interrogation are essential for a fair and complete investigation into the April 22 attack last year, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, in south Kashmir.
The warrant has been forwarded to the Deputy Inspector General of the NIA in Jammu for execution.