MHA Appoints Special Prosecutor for Pahalgam Terror Attack Case
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has appointed Advocate Shri Singh as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to represent the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack case, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including tourists, and injured 16 others.
According to the MHA notification, Shri Singh will handle the trial and related legal proceedings before the NIA Special Court in Jammu and the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. His appointment will remain valid for three years from the date of notification or until the trial concludes, whichever occurs earlier.
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The order has been issued under Section 15(1) of the NIA Act, 2008, read with Section 18(8) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, authorizing the SPP to represent the NIA in case RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU. Officials said the move aims to ensure that the trial progresses efficiently and that the prosecution presents a strong case before the court.
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The tragic Pahalgam terror attack was carried out by three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists — identified as Suleiman Shah alias Asif, Hamza Afghani alias Afghan, and Jibran, all Pakistani nationals. The trio ambushed a group of tourists, resulting in 26 fatalities and multiple injuries. They were later killed in an encounter during ‘Operation Mahadev’ in the Harwan forest area on July 28.
Following the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) conducted a high-level review and approved several new counter-terror measures, including the launch of “Operation Sindoor” to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and cross-border networks.
The NIA took over the investigation from Jammu and Kashmir Police on April 27, 2025, following directions from the MHA due to the case’s national security implications. The agency has since been probing the wider network behind the attack, focusing on foreign funding channels and local facilitators.
By June 2025, the NIA arrested two residents of Pahalgam — Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar of Batkote and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park — for allegedly providing shelter to the terrorists at a hut in Hill Park before the incident. Both were charged under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Investigations are ongoing to trace the full conspiracy and support network linked to the attack.
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