Kashmir Impulse Desk
New Delhi, Oct 31
National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer Sandeep Chaudhary, who led the investigation into the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, has been awarded the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for 2026.
The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the award on Saturday. Chaudhary was recognised in the investigation category.
A 2012-batch Indian Police Service officer of the AGMUT cadre, Chaudhary is currently posted as a Deputy Inspector General in the NIA.
He headed the investigation into the April 22, 2025 attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed.
The NIA took over the case shortly after the incident.
Hafiz Saeed and Sajid Jatt, both linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, were among those named in the chargesheet, according to the report.
Before joining the NIA, Chaudhary served as Senior Superintendent of Police in Shopian, Anantnag and Srinagar, where he led several counter-insurgency operations.
In 2021, an operation led by him resulted in the arrest of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Naveed Mushtaq, also known as Naveed Babu, along with then Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh.
Chaudhary has received gallantry medals nine times for his role in counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
He has also received commendation awards from the Army, Air Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Bureau of Police Research and Development and the NIA.
