A special NIA court in Jammu has extended by 45 days beyond the stipulated 90-day period the custodial remand of two accused arrested for allegedly harbouring Pakistani terrorists involved in the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April.
Special NIA judge Sandeep Gandotra extended the investigation and remand period of Bashir Ahmad Jothat, who hails from Baisaran in Pahalgam, and Parvaiz Ahmad from Batkote in Pahalgam. The court held a prima facie case in favour of the extension of the remand and the investigation in view of the allegations, progress of investigation, and pending forensic and DNA profiling reports.
Accordingly, the extension for a period of 45 days is granted to the investigating officer for the investigation of the case beyond the initial 90-day period concerning accused Jothat and Ahmad, with a direction to complete the investigation as soon as possible. The court directed the investigating officer to expedite and conclude the investigation at the earliest.
The 90-day period of remand for investigation, as well as 10 days of judicial remand, were due to expire on Friday. After the expiry of the earlier remand, Jothat and Ahmad were produced through virtual mode before the court on September 18, which extended their period of investigation and remand to enable the NIA to carry out its probe, officials said.
The judge observed that the plea for a 90-day extension of investigation was well-founded and deserved acceptance given the crucial stage of the probe. The court noted that several witness statements and forensic reports were still pending.
The case, re-registered by the NIA, pertains to the killing of tourists from a particular community at Baisaran meadow, Pahalgam, on April 22, 2025. The accused, Jothat and Ahmad, were arrested on June 22 and have been in judicial custody at Amphalla Jail in Jammu.
According to the NIA, the accused disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The federal agency alleged that both had knowingly harboured the terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) in Hill Park in Pahalgam before the April 22 attack, which left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead and 16 others injured.
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