India’s most wanted terrorist Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan, NIA told Jammu court, got arrest warrant

File picture of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, head of banned Islamic charity Jamat-ud-Dawa | Photo credit: Reuters

LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, India’s most wanted terrorist, is in Pakistan, the NIA told a special court in Jammu, which granted him a second non-bailable (NBW) in two months in a terror case related to supply of arms, funds and instructions to terror groups operating in the Union Territory.

The court was hearing an application filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking NBW against the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and designated terrorist under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The application described Saeed, a resident of Sargodha in Punjab (Pakistan), as a “fugitive accused” in a case related to the arrest of Mohammad Naqeeb Bhat during a check in Pandach on the outskirts of Srinagar earlier this year.

A Chinese-made grenade and 15 live rounds were recovered from Bhat, a resident of Batpora.

Bhat was booked at Zakoora police station under UAPA, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.

Subsequent investigations led to the busting of the terror network, leading to the arrest of several more terrorists associated with LeT and its offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) and two Pakistani nationals.

The NIA said the involvement of Saeed, the “amir/chief/founder” of the banned terrorist group, came to light during investigations, with arrested Pakistani terrorists allegedly linked to him.

“Saeed is operating from Pakistan and providing arms, money and instructions to terrorists operating in the Kashmir Valley. The information gathered is that the said terrorist is currently in Pakistan and is deliberately evading his arrest to escape the clutches of the law,” the NIA told the court.

After hearing the agency, special judge under NIA Prem Sagar on September 8 noted that Saeed’s involvement came to light during the investigation and that he was “allegedly involved in terrorism”.

Noting that he was at large and that the investigating agency was unable to secure his attendance “in the normal way”, the court issued a general non-bailable warrant for Saeed.

The latest warrant is the second non-bailable warrant issued against the LeT founder by a special NIA court in Jammu in two months.

On July 8, the court issued the first NBW against Saeed in connection with last April’s Pahalgam terror attack that left 25 tourists and one local dead.

Published – 12 September 2026 11:15 AM IST