NIA Court issues non-bailable warrant against Hafiz Saeed

Jammu, Jul 14: A Special Court under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act in Jammu has issued an open-dated non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Pakistan-based founder of the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), observing that his arrest and custodial interrogation are necessary for a fair, complete and effective investigation in a case registered by the NIA.
The order was passed by the Court of the Special Judge under the NIA Act, Jammu, on an application moved by the NIA seeking issuance of a warrant under Section 75 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) against Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, who has been arrayed as accused No. 8 in RC No. 02/2025/NIA/JMU. The supplementary chargesheet in the case has already been filed before the court.
According to the court order, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, son of Kamal-ud-Din and a resident of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan, is a designated terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and is stated to be operating from Pakistan while deliberately evading arrest. The court noted that the NIA sought the issuance of an open-dated non-bailable warrant to facilitate further legal proceedings and investigation.
After hearing the Investigating Officer and examining the application, the court held that the arrest and custodial interrogation of the accused were essential for an effective investigation. It accordingly issued the non-bailable warrant and directed that it be forwarded to the Deputy Inspector General, NIA, Jammu, for execution in accordance with the prescribed legal procedure.
The application was subsequently disposed of and consigned to the record after completion of the necessary formalities. [KNT]