A federal court in Srinagar on Tuesday filed a formal indictment against Hafiz Saeed, the founder of the Islamist organisation Harkat‑i‑Jama‑at‑-‑I‑Sharia, for alleged involvement in a bomb attack that killed 12 civilians in a small village in the Pulwama district last month. The indictment was issued by the Special C‑Court of Jammu & Kashmir under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and lists charges of conspiracy, possession of explosives and incitement to violence.
The prosecution’s case rests on a series of intercepted communications between Saeed and a local extremist cell, as well as forensic evidence linking the explosive device to a cache of weapons seized in a raid on a compound in Delhi’s Ghaziabad district. A senior officer of the Jammu & Kashmir Police, who asked to remain unnamed, said the evidence was “conclusive” and that the court had been “prepared for several weeks” before filing the charges.
Saeed, who is currently in custody in New Delhi, has been a polarising figure in Indian politics since the 1990s. He was previously convicted in 2001 for involvement in a bomb attack that killed 24 people in the city of Gurdaspur, and has been repeatedly named by the Ministry of Home Affairs as a “terrorist” and “terrorist financier.” The new indictment follows a series of attacks in the Kashmir Valley that the government has attributed to Islamist militants linked to Saeed’s organisation.
The court’s order also names 14 other individuals, including three of Saeed’s close aides, as co‑conspirators. They are charged with assisting in the planning and execution of the attack, and with smuggling explosives across the border. The indictment demands that the accused be remanded for the duration of the trial and that a special investigative team be assigned to the case.
Saeed’s lawyer, Ravi Kumar, said the indictment was “politically motivated” and that the prosecution had “failed to present any concrete evidence.” He also requested that the court dismiss the charges and release his client on bail, citing Saeed’s long record of cooperation with Indian authorities on counter‑terrorism matters.
The Indian government has not yet issued an official statement regarding the indictment. However, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs said the charges were “in line with the country’s anti‑terrorism framework” and that the judiciary would decide the case’s merits.
The indictment comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, with both sides accusing each other of supporting militant groups in Kashmir. Islamabad’s foreign ministry has criticised the move as “unlawful” and has called for an international inquiry into the alleged use of foreign nationals in India’s internal security matters.
Analysis: The indictment of Hafiz Saeed represents a significant escalation in the Indian state’s legal campaign against Islamist militants. While the prosecution claims robust forensic and communications evidence, the defense’s contention of political motivation reflects a long‑standing debate over the use of anti‑terrorism laws to target political dissidents. The inclusion of multiple co‑conspirators suggests the court is aiming to dismantle a broader network rather than focus solely on Saeed. The international implications are likely to be limited, as the case appears to be confined to domestic legal proceedings, though it may influence diplomatic dialogues over cross‑border militancy.
Sources
– “Hafiz Saeed Indicted in Kashmir Attack.” Google News India Politics, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxPOTNaWF9oTkprLU55UXotRW1GUG41RVhqTjdPZXpCcEhqdk1SQW9RdzUxVWsxdjIwbkxsbURaRmNwNFJPTzhsVUMwOWdlVWxGZ2hjZmZEc1ZmZHhyVFd6alpaQmpTcUUwQW9sMllpZnhScWJxcmVRb282TGY4NjRhUHFiVEF4RE15SndCdkItREFwMDhmMy1F0gGcAUFVX3lxTE9Hbkxha3BqWUpPWjJKODd5a2F2MXJWQUVtWVVSYUFRZGZubnJGSTRkZU9KYjBEZ2c1YmVVaWZkdkRsYjctS2ZPNGJIS1d1QjI1NWF2R3JnYUlSajJQc214NkxnVGVYbEd4bmY5THRYN1NQWHZ4czJVMzMtOFo4SnlVYlllTEtlb1p3OVFWMS1zUHJJZzA1VDg1NkV3aA?oc=5
Story synopsis gathered from: Google News India Politics — source
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