Jammu: A Special NIA Court in Jammu on Wednesday issued a Letter Rogatory to Chinese authorities to uncover the supply chain and end-user details of a GoPro camera tied to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack last year.
The court acted on an application by National Investigation Agency (NIA) Deputy Inspector General Sandeep Choudhary under Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
On April 22, 2025, terrorists from Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) attacked the scenic Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir, killing 25 tourists and a local guide.
As per the application, the NIA during course of the investigation seized various key items, including electronic devices linked to the conspiracy. Among them was a GoPro Hero 12 Black Camera (serial no. C3501325471706), vital for proving the attackers’ pre-attack reconnaissance, movements, and preparations.
The probe agency sent a lawful BNSS notice to manufacturer GoPro BV for supply chain and activation details. “The manufacturer has further stated that it does not possess downstream transaction details or end-user records of the device. The activation, initial use and commercial trail of the said device lie within the territorial jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China, and the information necessary to trace the purchaser, end-user and associated technical records can only be obtained through judicial assistance of the Chinese authorities,” the application noted.
With no Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and China, the court invoked the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), ratified by both.
The Ministry of Home Affairs approved the move. The judge highlighted the data’s importance for “establishing the chain of custody, user, attribution and evidentiary linkage of seized device which was supplied to AE Group International Limited, a distributor based in the People’s Republic of China.”
“All the requisites are complied by the applicant as such in exercise of powers under section 112 BNSS, I allow the application and the Letter Rogatory is issued to the competent judicial authority of the People’s Republic of China for seeking assistance and tracing the purchaser, end user and associated technical records to unearth the larger conspiracy,” the order stated.
The court also laid down procedural directions for uploading and forwarding Chinese translations via diplomatic channels. The application is now part of the main case file, with a copy to NIA for compliance.
