Jammu, October 30, 2025 – The trial for the horrific Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives including 25 tourists and one local pony operator on April 22, 2025, took a decisive step forward today as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed advocate Shri Singh as the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) to lead the prosecution on behalf of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The notification, issued on October 28 and publicized this morning around 9 AM, designates Shri Singh to handle all proceedings in NIA case No. RC-02/2025/NIA/JMU before the NIA Special Court in Jammu and the High Court of J&K and Ladakh for three years or until trial completion, whichever comes first.
The Pahalgam assault, carried out by three Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in Baisaran Valley – a picturesque meadow 7 km from the tourist hub – targeted Hindu tourists in a brazen display of communal violence, sparking national outrage and escalating Indo-Pak tensions. The attackers, identified as Pakistani nationals affiliated with LeT, selectively shot dead 25 men, leaving 16 others wounded, before being neutralized by security forces on July 28, 2025, in Dachigam forest. Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed their Pakistani origin and LeT association in Parliament on July 29, 2025, vowing swift justice. The incident, the deadliest civilian attack in Kashmir since the 2008 Mumbai assaults, prompted India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025 – pre-dawn strikes on nine terror camps and military sites in Pakistan and PoK, killing 70 militants and drawing global scrutiny, including UN condemnations of cross-border escalation.
The NIA, taking over from J&K Police on April 27, 2025, under MHA orders, has conducted a sweeping probe, questioning over 1,000 witnesses including tourists, pony owners, photographers, shopkeepers, and locals. A Jammu court granted a 45-day extension on September 18, 2025, to finalize the investigation, expiring this week – paving the way for the chargesheet expected imminently, potentially by November 1. Key breakthroughs include June 2025 arrests of two locals, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote and Bashir Ahmad Jothar from Hill Park, for harboring the attackers in a seasonal hut. Under UAPA Section 19, they provided food, shelter, and logistics, per NIA filings from July 2025, linking them to a broader LeT network funded via hawala (Rs 2 crore traced).
Shri Singh’s appointment, under NIA Act Section 15 and BNSS Section 18, ensures a robust trial, building on precedents like the 2019 Pulwama case where SPPs expedited convictions. In 2025, NIA’s conviction rate for terror cases stands at 95%, per official data, with Pahalgam’s file poised for fast-track under NIA Special Court protocols.