Pahalgam case: NIA seeks China's help to trace GoPro cam info

NEW DELHI: A special NIA court hearing the Pahalgam terror attack case in Jammu has issued a letter rogatory to the authorities concerned in China, seeking assistance to trace the supply chain and end-user details of a GoPro Hero Black 12 camera seized as part of the NIA investigation.

Its purpose is to establish details such as pre-attack reconnaissance, movement and operational preparation of the Pakistani terror module behind the deadly strike that killed 26 people, including 25 tourists, on April 22, 2025.Sources said though the GoPro camera was body-mounted by one of the three Pakistani terrorists to capture the attack as it happened, it yielded no footage when seized from the attackers tracked and killed in Dachigam forest during Operation Mahadev months after the attack.

The GoPro Hero 12 Black camera remains a crucial evidence nevertheless, as its supply chain can help establish details like reconnaissance of the attack site and the route and movement of the attackers.Earlier, a lawful notice was issued by NIA to the manufacturer of the camera, GoPro B V, seeking details of its supply chain and activation. "In its response, GoPro B V has informed that the said camera was supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor based in the People's Republic of China; and the camera was activated on Jan 30, 2024, at Dongguan, People's Republic of China," NIA said.

"The manufacturer has further stated that it does not possess downstream transaction details or end-user records of the device. The activation, initial use and commercial trail of the said device lie within the territorial jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China, and the information necessary to trace the purchaser, end-user and associated technical records can only be obtained through judicial assistance of the Chinese authorities," as per the application filed before the NIA court.The court said since India and China are not signatories to a mutual legal assistance treaty, assistance as requested can be sought under UNTOC, as both nations have ratified UNTOC.Ministry of home affairs has given its concurrence for the issuance of the letter rogatory to China for seeking legal assistance in investigation of the case.