Pulwama Attack: NIA Files Charge Sheet, Names JeM Chief

At least 40 soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber rammed into a security convoy on 14 February 2019.

File photo of the security forces in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack.

(Photo: PTI)

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, 25 August filed a charge sheet naming Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-E-Mohammed, and his brother Rauf Asghar as the masterminds of Pulwama terror attack.

“The almost blind terror case solved in 18 months brings out conspiracy hatched in Pakistan by JeM to carry out 2019 Pulwama attack,” said NIA

What Does NIA Charge Sheet Include?

A 13,800 pages charge sheet has been filed against 19 accused persons, including JeM chief Masood Azhar and his relatives Ammar Alvi and Abdul Rauf in NIA Special Court at Jammu in connection with the terrorist attack on the CRPF convoy that was moving from Jammu towards Srinagar on 14 February, 2019, the charge-sheet and also mentions 7 terrorists who were killed, 7 arrested and 4 absconding.

A Well-Planned Criminal Conspiracy: NIA

As per the investigation agency, the Pulwama attack was a ‘well-planned criminal conspiracy’ hatched by Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad.

“The JeM leaders have been sending their cadres to the terrorist training camps of Al-Qaeda-Taliban-JeM and Haqqani-JeM in Afghanistan for receiving training in explosives and other terrorist tactics,” it said.

The investigation agency also revealed that the main accused, Mohammed Umar Farooq, entered India through International Border at Jammu-Samba Sector in April 2018 and took over as Jaish-e-Mohammad commander of Pulwama.

Farooq, along with his Pakistani men, planned and prepared for the attack on security forces using IEDs.

NIA also mentioned that accused Shakir Bashir, Insha Jan, Peer Tariq Ahmad Shah and Bilal Ahmad Kuchey provided all logistics and sheltered the JeM terrorists in their houses.

Chronology of the Attack

NIA in its press release mentioned that the RDX was brought by the Pakistani terrorists who infiltrated into India which was stocked by another accused, Shakir Bashir, at his house for making the IED in January 2019.

“Sajjad Ahmad Bhat purchased a Maruti EECO car for the purpose of carrying out the IED attack,” NIA said.

Towards the end of January, 2019, Mohammad Umar Farooq, Sameer Dar and Adil Dar made the propaganda video clip of the suicide attack at Insha Jan’s house which was released immediately after the attack.

Evidence Documented by NIA

The NIA charge-sheet mentions that a lot of digital, forensic, documentary and oral evidence establishing a fool-proof case against the accused for this ‘dastardly and barbaric attack’ has been collected.

It also states, “A year & a half long painstaking and meticulous investigation with valuable inputs received from other Central and State government agencies as well as foreign law-enforcement agencies.”

NIA counsel Vipin Kalra stated that Masood Azhar is the prime accused and the next date of hearing is on 1 September.

In 2019, JeM claimed the responsibility of the Pulwama attack, which prompted India to carry out an airstrike on terror camps in Pakistan’s Balakot.

(With inputs from NDTV, Hindustan Times)