NIA court in J-K issues fresh warrant against LeT founder Hafiz Saeed

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jammu has issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against wanted terrorist and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed over the supply of weapons, funds, and directions to terror groups operating in the Union territory.

Special judge Prem Sagar passed the order on September 8 following an application by the NIA against Saeed under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

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This is the second non-bailable warrant issued against Saeed by the Jammu court in two months, following an earlier warrant on July 8 related to the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack. Saeed, a designated terrorist under Schedule IV of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was also the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people.

The present case stems from an incident on March 31, 2026, when Jammu and Kashmir Police intercepted a motorcycle during routine checking at Gujar Tent Pandach on the outskirts of Srinagar. LeT operative Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat was arrested after recovering a grenade and 15 live cartridges from him.

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Investigation established links between arrested operatives, LeT, and its offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF). The NIA submitted to the court that Saeed is operating from Pakistan, and actively supplying weapons, funds, and instructions to operatives in the Kashmir Valley.

A principal correspondent, Ravi Krishnan Khajuria is the bureau chief at Jammu. With nearly 25 years of experience with Hindustan Times, The Tribune and Kashmir Times, he covers politics, defence, crime, terrorism, Indo-Pak border skirmishes, legislative assembly proceedings, health and civic and environmental issues for Jammu region. He also reports geo-political developments from strategic Ladakh region. Read More