NEW DELHI: Following the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) detailed chargesheet in the Pahalgam terror attack case, investigators have now turned their attention to how a US-made GoPro camera, originally supplied to China, found its way into the hands of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group, senior officials said on Sunday.Also Read | Pahalgam case: NIA seeks China’s help to trace GoPro cam infoThe sophisticated camera was recovered from the three Pahalgam terrorists who were killed in an encounter in the Dachigam forests last July after the attack.According to officials, the recovery of the device has provided investigators with a significant new lead into the external logistics network backing terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.Probe agencies believe tracing the camera’s supply route could help uncover weaknesses — or possible collusion — within clandestine networks responsible for smuggling funds, equipment and tactical gear.“The chargesheet establishes the immediate operational details of the Baisaran attack, but the wider investigation remains wide open. We are actively investigating the procurement channels to ascertain how a commercial device tracking back to China was diverted to a banned terrorist organisation operating in Jammu and Kashmir,” an official told news agency PTI.To trace the camera’s origin, the NIA had formally contacted US-based manufacturer GoPro Inc seeking details about the device’s sales history. In response, the company informed investigators that the specific camera had originally been shipped to an authorised commercial distributor in China.According to officials, investigators are examining the possibility that the cameras may have been procured by the Pakistani military and subsequently passed on to terror groups operating in the region.Since India does not share a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with China, investigations of this nature can only be pursued through diplomatic channels.A total of 26 people, most of them tourists, were killed when terrorists opened fire in the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on April 22, 2025.In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, carrying out strikes against Pakistan-based terror groups, including key camps linked to the banned LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed.The ensuing military conflict between India and Pakistan came to an end on May 10 after Islamabad requested a ceasefire and New Delhi accepted.The three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam attack were killed in an encounter with Army special forces in the Dachigam forests on July 28 last year. They were identified as Faisal Jatt alias Suleman, Habeeb Tahir alias Chottu, and Hamza Afghani.Investigators found that at least two AK-47 rifles recovered from the Baisaran attack site, along with another weapon seized in the Dachigam forests on the outskirts of Srinagar, were of Chinese origin.The NIA has filed a chargesheet against the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and six individuals, including the three slain attackers.(With PTI inputs)
