NIA to file chargesheet in Pahalgam attack case, will name terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev

26 people were killed in Pahalgam terror attack

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will soon file a chargesheet with regard to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives in the Kashmir valley on April 22 this year.

This report will mark an important milestone into the ongoing investigation in the case, sources told News18.

The sources reportedly also said that the chargesheet will formally be naming three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who were killed during Operation Mahadev and probe experts say that with the chargesheet, the NIA will establish that the Pahalgam attack was not an isolated incident but a small part in Lashkar's wider terror module.

Investigators probing the Pahalgam terror attack have traced crucial links between the attackers and a small network of local facilitators, sources familiar with the investigation said.

According to officials, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has concluded that two of the terrorists who were killed had received direct assistance from local individuals belonging to families from the Gujjar–Bakkarwal community.

News18 further reported that, according to sources, local aides played an important role in helping terrorists to function in the area without getting caught.

The aides arranged for temporary hideouts, helped logistically and also guided terrorists through dense forest areas, eventually leading to the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.

A deeper probe into the case has also led the agency to find that there is a third accused, identified as Sajid Jatt, who officials say was actively working under the instructions of handlers who managed everything from across the border.

Investigators say Sajid Jatt acted as a key coordinator for the module, maintaining communication with handlers outside India and facilitating operational support for the attackers.

According to sources, the chargesheet details how local support networks formed a crucial link in the overall terror plot.

These networks allegedly helped the terrorists secure shelter, chart movement routes, and sustain themselves before carrying out the attack in Pahalgam.

NIA established connections through forensic analysis, call record data and data that was retrieved from electronic devices that were seized during operations. Help was also received from corroborative ground-level evidence.

Officials associated with the probe said Operation Mahadev proved decisive not only in neutralising the shooters involved in the Pahalgam attack but also in uncovering the wider infrastructure that sustains terrorism in Kashmir.