New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found that a GoPro camera seized during the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack had been active in China before the incident.
According to investigators, the device was first switched on on January 30, 2024, in Dongguan, China—around a month before the attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The agency suspects the camera may have been used for reconnaissance ahead of the assault.
The attack took place on April 22 last year at the Baisaran valley in Pahalgam, where terrorists linked to The Resistance Front, described as a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, opened fire on tourists. The incident, which reportedly targeted Hindus, left 26 people dead.
NIA officials believe the camera could help establish how the attackers planned and executed the operation. To gather more details—such as who bought the device, who used it earlier, and how it reached Pakistan-based terrorists—the agency has sent a request to China.
The NIA has also placed these details before a special court in Jammu. While India and China do not have a mutual legal assistance treaty, officials noted that information on cross-border organised crimes can be exchanged under provisions of a United Nations convention.
