Men held for ‘sheltering Pahalgam attackers’ sent to 5-day NIA custody

According to the NIA, the two men knowingly gave shelter to the terrorists ahead of the Pahalgam attack. The terrorists were allegedly put up in a dhok — shelter used during the summer months in the highland pastures — at Hill Park in Pahalgam, the NIA said.

The arrested men were produced before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ritesh Kumar Dubey, in Jammu and were remanded to NIA custody for five days until June 27.

An NIA spokesperson said Sunday that during questioning, the two men “disclosed the identities of the three armed terrorists involved in the attack, and have also confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals affiliated to the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba”. It was earlier believed that the attack was carried out by two men from Pakistan and one from Kashmir. Three sketches had also been released by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. However, sources in the central agency now say the three men in the sketches are not the Pahalgam attackers.

Before the NIA arrested the two locals for allegedly sheltering the attackers, the agency had questioned more than 200 people, including pony operators, shopkeepers and photographers. “Parvaiz had a common friend with a pony operator, and their wives shared details of the visitor at their house,” said a source.

The NIA believes the three attackers came to their homes late evening on April 20 and asked them to pack food. Before leaving, they gave them some money and threatened them not to tell anyone.