The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has informed the Special Court in Jammu that Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, India’s most-wanted terrorist, is currently in Pakistan and deliberately evading arrest.

Acting on the agency’s application, the court has issued a second non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him within two months, intensifying India’s legal pursuit of the Pakistan-based militant leader.

The NIA sought the warrant under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), describing Saeed, a resident of Sargodha in Punjab, Pakistan, as an absconding accused in a case linked to the arrest of Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat earlier this year.

Bhat was apprehended during a routine check at Pandach on the outskirts of Srinagar, where authorities recovered a China-made grenade and 15 live rounds from his possession.

Bhat, a resident of Batpora, was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and the Explosive Substances Act at Zakoora Police Station. His arrest triggered a wider investigation that led to the dismantling of a terror network. Several more terrorists associated with LeT and its offshoot, The Resistance Front (TRF), were arrested, along with two Pakistani nationals.

The NIA stated that Saeed’s involvement surfaced during this investigation, with arrested Pakistani terrorists allegedly linked directly to him. According to the agency, Saeed has been operating from Pakistan, providing weapons, funds, and strategic directions to terrorists active in the Kashmir Valley. The agency emphasised that he is deliberately evading arrest to escape the clutches of law.

On 8 September, Special Judge Prem Sagar, presiding under the NIA Act, observed that Saeed’s role had emerged during the investigation and that he was allegedly involved in terrorism.

The court noted that Saeed remained at large and that the investigating agency had failed to secure his attendance through ordinary means. Consequently, a general non-bailable warrant was issued against him.

This latest warrant marks the second time in two months that the Special NIA Court in Jammu has acted against Saeed. On 8 July, the court had issued the first NBW in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025, in which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 25 tourists and a local pony operator. 

That attack, carried out at the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, remains one of the deadliest assaults on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.

The issuance of consecutive warrants underscores India’s determination to hold Hafiz Saeed accountable for orchestrating cross-border terrorism. Saeed, already designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations and sanctioned internationally for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, continues to operate freely from Pakistan despite mounting evidence of his involvement in terror activities.

His evasion of arrest highlights Pakistan’s unwillingness to act against him, further strengthening India’s case in global forums about Islamabad’s complicity in sponsoring terrorism.

The NIA continues to pursue the broader conspiracy, focusing on identifying additional handlers, financiers, and facilitators linked to Saeed and his networks.

The agency’s efforts form part of India’s wider counter-terror strategy, which includes freezing assets, designating individuals under UAPA, and seeking international cooperation to isolate Pakistan-based terror organisations.

PTI