Jammu, Sep 11, 2025 : A special court in Jammu has rejected the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) plea to conduct polygraph and narco-analysis tests on the two men arrested in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people on April 22.
The accused, Bashir Ahmad Jothatd and Parvaiz Ahmed, both denied giving consent for these “scientific techniques,” prompting the court to rule that such tests would violate their constitutional right against self-incrimination. The court’s six-page order referred to legal precedents and National Human Rights Commission guidelines, which mandate that consent for such tests be recorded before a judicial magistrate and carried out by an independent agency.
The NIA had alleged the two harbored three terrorists in a seasonal hut prior to the attack targeting tourists in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam. Both were arrested under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, while the three terrorists were eliminated by the army on July 28.
Investigation into the attack continues.
