A month on, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) continues to look for the terrorists who killed 26 civilians — 25 tourists and one local — in J&K’s Pahalgam on April 22, an attack that triggered an escalation in hostilities between India and Pakistan.
With no headway so far in finding the terrorists, the agency, which took over the probe from J&K Police days after the attack, is questioning witnesses and examining data using technical surveillance, it is learnt.
At least five terrorists, including three from Pakistan, are suspected to be behind the attack at the Baisaran valley meadow in Pahalgam. Authorities have released sketches of at least three terrorists and announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh each for information about them.
“The J&K police initially released the sketches of the militants… The NIA, after registering a fresh case, started questioning witnesses. So far, they have questioned 150 locals, including pony operators, shopkeepers, photographers and those employed in adventure sports activities,” a source said.
The NIA also questioned a local who was found to have opened a shop in the area around 15 days before the incident, but kept it shut on the day of the attack. “We have not found anything concrete against him, and questioning is still on,” the source added.
During the investigation, the NIA procured dump data — a mass collection of mobile phone data, mostly videos and pictures taken by the family members of the victims and some other tourists — from the spot and is examining it using technical surveillance. It also conducted 3D mapping of the Baisaran meadow based on the statements of witnesses and shopkeepers.
“It will help them understand the duration, exact location, and exact points from where the attackers came and where they left. A similar 3D mapping was made by the NIA during the investigation of the 2019 Pulwama attack,” said an official.
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In the days after the attack, J&K police launched a massive crackdown and detained hundreds of people, including OGWs or overground workers. A senior J&K police officer said the detentions were carried out with two objectives: “To get leads about the Pahalgam attack and to send a strong message that such actions would have costs and would not be tolerated. The messaging was essential to prevent any future attacks.”
But, the officer added, “As far as the first objective was concerned, there has not been much headway.”
Another police officer said most of those who were detained have been released. “However, some of them who worked as OGWs in the past have been booked under the PSA,” the officer added.
The officer said J&K police and NIA received information about “many people”, but most of the leads were found to be false. “In one case, a tourist had posted a video of three people who he said resembled the attackers and were spotted in Betab valley (near Pahalgam). They were picked and released after nothing substantial was found,” the officer said.
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One of the officers cited above said combing operations were expanded beyond Pahalgam and include most parts of South Kashmir forests.
The officer added that in the first few days of the attack, the security agencies had managed to trace some digital footprints of the attackers and were able to “break into their communication”. But, the officer added, they “appear to have gone offline” since then.
In two separate operations in south Kashmir following the attack, the Army and police killed six local militants, including a top commander of TRF — a terror outfit that police say is behind the Pahalgam attack.
