In News:

• Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Raipur branch office of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• At the occasion, he said that the Central government wanted NIA to become a federal crime investigation agency with offices in all states before the 2024 General Election.

What’s in today’s article:

• Background (Need for NIA)
• About NIA (Objectives, Functions, NIA Amendment Act, etc.)
• News Summary

Background:

• Over the past several years, India has been the victim of large-scale terrorism sponsored from across the borders.
• A large number of such attacks are found to have complex inter-state and international linkages, and possible connection with other activities like the smuggling of arms and drugs, circulation of fake Indian currency, etc.
• Hence, a need was felt for setting up of an Agency at the Central level for investigation of offences related to terrorism and certain other Acts, which have national ramifications.
• Several experts and Committees, including the Administrative Reforms commission in its Report, had made recommendations for establishing such an Agency.

National Investigation Agency (NIA):

• Accordingly, the NIA Act was enacted in 2008 and the National Investigation Agency was born.
• The Act gives the NIA powers to –
  • Take Suo motu cognisance of terror activities in any part of India and register a case,
  • Enter any state without permission from the state government, and
  • Investigate and arrest people.
• At present NIA is functioning as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India.
• Jurisdiction – Provisions of the NIA Act extend to the whole of India and also applies to Indian citizens outside the country.
• Headquarters – New Delhi
• Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Home Affairs

Functions of NIA:

• In-depth professional investigation of scheduled offences using the latest scientific methods of investigation and setting up such standards as to ensure that all cases entrusted to the NIA are detected.
• Ensuring effective and speedy trial.
• Assist all States and other investigating agencies in investigation of terrorist cases.
• Build a data base on all terrorist related information and share the data base available with the States and other agencies.

NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019:

• The 2019 NIA Amendment Act expanded the type of offences that the investigative body could investigate and prosecute.
• The agency can now investigate offences related to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism, and offences under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
• The amendment also enables the Central government to designate sessions courts as special courts for NIA trials.
• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment (UAPA), also passed in 2019, allows an NIA officer to conduct raids, and seize properties that are suspected to be linked to terrorist activities.
  • The NIA does not have to take permission of the Director General of Police of a state.
  • The investigating officer only requires sanction from the Director General of NIA.

News Summary:

• Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Raipur branch office of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• At the occasion, the Union Home Minister said the NIA is working towards building ties with its foreign counterparts for better coordination in terror investigations.
• He said that the NIA will have branches in every state by May 2024 and the government has taken several steps in the past three years to make it an almost federal crime investigation agency.
• Left-wing extremism has shrunk from 120 districts to only 46 in the country.
• The cases taken up by NIA have a conviction rate of 94% now.