26/11 Mumbai Attacks Case: Hafiz Saeed, 5 Others Face Trial in Absentia

26/11 Mumbai Attacks Case: Hafiz Saeed, 5 Others Face Trial in Absentia

MUMBAI, August 18, 2026 [VoM News]: The trial against the six Pakistani nationals wanted in connection with the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks is set to formally commence in absentia in a Mumbai court.

The Mumbai police have approached Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Ujjwal Nikam seeking to initiate an in absentia trial against the accused, including Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and operational commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

The list of accused comprises Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Sajid Mir, Abu Alqama, Asim alias Abu Qahafa and Major Abdur Rehman Pasha.

The police have already written to Nikam requesting him to file proceedings against the six accused under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

Nikam, a veteran prosecutor, said a trial court had issued proclamations against the six absconding accused and once their official proclamations reach him, proceedings can be initiated. LeT had on November 26, 2008, unleashed a series of deadly shooting and bombing attacks in Mumbai. Ten LeT terrorists arrived from Karachi by sea and went on a killing spree across the city for four days. Over 166 people, including 26 foreigners, were killed and around 300 were injured during the deadly terror attacks.

LeT leader Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was considered a key brain behind the deadly attacks.

LeT has been designated as a terrorist outfit by the United Nations and the United States. A conviction in absentia can lead to sentencing for all of them. If convicted, the absconding accused will have to serve their term in case they are apprehended or extradited to India.

The move by Indian authorities comes after a Jammu court had in April 2025 issued a non-bailable warrant against Saeed in connection with the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack. In a supplementary chargesheet, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had named Saeed as mastermind of the 2025 Pahalgam attack case.