Two accused in Pahalgam attack sent to 5-day remand

The two accused arrested in the April 22 Pahalgam attack case were on Monday sent to five-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) remand by a local court in Jammu.

The two identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam, are accused of harbouring the Pakistani terrorists behind the deadly attack in which 26 people including 25 tourists were killed in cold blood.

Both were arrested by NIA on Sunday in the first major breakthrough in the investigations into the attack that resulted in a brief conflict between India and Pakistan.

According to the NIA, the arrested accused have disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

The two accused were produced in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Jammu, Ritesh Kumar Dubey, and were sent to NIA custody for five days — till June 27.

The accused had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a ‘dhok’ (temporary structure) at Hill Park before the attack, NIA investigation has revealed. NIA has found that both the accused had provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists.