NIA Chargesheet Reveals Pahalgam Terror Plot Was Active Week Before April 2025 Attack
NIA chargesheet reveals Pahalgam terror plan active from April 15, 2025.
The conspiracy behind the deadly Pahalgam terror attack was already in motion at least a week before the assault, with investigators finding digital evidence that terrorists used a GPS-based trekking application to mark and monitor locations around the tourist destination. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the recovered data suggests preparations for the April 22, 2025 attack began around April 15.
The findings are part of the NIA's chargesheet in the case involving the attack that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local pony operator. Investigators recovered digital evidence from a mobile phone belonging to one of the terrorists killed during Operation Mahadev near Srinagar on July 28, 2025. The device reportedly contained map screenshots dated April 15 and April 16, showing locations near Baisaran Valley, where the attack later took place.
According to the investigation, the screenshots appear to have been created using a GPS-based hiking and trekking application commonly used for mountain expeditions. The NIA believes the app was instead used by the terrorists to receive and track location coordinates allegedly shared by their Pakistan-based handler, identified as Sajid Jatt. Investigators said the timestamps indicate that operational planning for the attack was active at least a week before it was carried out.
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The agency has also analysed data recovered from two mobile phones seized during the investigation. Officials said the devices contained photographs of the terrorists, chats with their alleged handler, and other digital records that investigators believe help establish the planning, communication and coordination behind the attack. These findings are expected to play a key role in the prosecution's case.
The Pahalgam attack remains one of the deadliest assaults targeting tourists in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. The NIA continues to investigate the broader conspiracy, including the alleged cross-border support network and the role of digital communication tools used in planning the attack. Authorities are examining additional electronic evidence as they pursue those believed to have facilitated or directed the operation.
