National Investigation Agency - UPSC

National Investigation Agency:

Mains : GS2 (Polity and Governance), GS3 (Security)

What is National Investigation Agency (NIA), exactly?

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is a federal agency in India that works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India which was established in 2009 by the Indian government to combat terrorism and other serious crimes that have national and international ramifications.

The NIA is empowered to investigate and prosecute offenses related to terrorism, as well as offenses that fall under the purview of various other laws, including the Atomic Energy Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosives Act, and the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act.

Headquarters: New Delhi, India

Branches: Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Guwahati, Mumbai, Lucknow, Raipur, Kochi and Jammu

Why was NIA set up?

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was created in India primarily to address the increasing threat of terrorism in the country and to strengthen the legal framework for investigating and prosecuting terrorism-related cases.

The need for a specialized agency that could investigate and prosecute terrorism-related cases across state and international borders was felt strongly after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were carried out by terrorists who had crossed the border from Pakistan.

The NIA's objectives:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was established in India with the primary goal of combating terrorism and other serious crimes that have national and international ramifications. The agency was created to strengthen the existing legal framework for investigating such cases and to provide a specialized agency with the necessary resources and expertise to effectively investigate and prosecute terrorism-related cases across state and international borders.

The following are a few of the NIA's specific objectives:

To investigate and prosecute offenses related to terrorism and other serious crimes that have national and international ramifications, as per the provisions of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
To take over investigations of such offenses from state police forces under certain circumstances, as per the provisions of the Act.
To coordinate with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies in India and around the world to identify, track, and prosecute individuals and groups involved in such crimes.
To gather and analyze intelligence related to terrorism and other serious crimes.
To develop and maintain expertise in the investigation of terrorism-related cases, including the use of advanced forensic techniques and technologies.
To enhance public awareness about the threat of terrorism and other serious crimes and to promote cooperation and coordination among various stakeholders in countering such threats.
To Investigate professionally the scheduled offences utilising the latest scientific methods.

Amendments of NIA:

There have been several recent amendments made to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008. Here are some of the key amendments:

Empowering NIA to investigate cybercrimes: The NIA Act was amended in 2019 to empower the NIA to investigate cybercrimes and offenses related to the use of explosives.
Provision for attachment of property: The NIA Act was amended in 2019 to provide for the attachment of property of a person who is being investigated by the agency. This provision is aimed at preventing the person from disposing of the property and frustrating the investigation.
Expansion of NIA's jurisdiction: The NIA Act was amended in 2019 to expand the agency's jurisdiction to investigate offenses related to human trafficking, counterfeit currency, and manufacture or sale of prohibited arms.
Provision for special courts: The NIA Act was amended in 2019 to provide for the establishment of special courts for the trial of cases investigated by the agency.
Authorization to investigate cases related to scheduled offenses: The NIA Act was amended in 2019 to authorize the NIA to investigate cases related to scheduled offenses even if they are not directly linked to terrorism.

Cases that NIA dealt with:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been involved in several high-profile cases related to terrorism, organized crime, and other serious offenses in India. Here are some examples of cases held by the NIA:

Mumbai Terror Attack Case: The NIA investigated the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case, in which ten Pakistani terrorists carried out coordinated attacks in Mumbai, killing 166 people.

Pathankot Attack Case: The NIA investigated the 2016 Pathankot attack case, in which a group of terrorists attacked an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab, killing seven security personnel.

Pulwama Attack Case: The NIA investigated the 2019 Pulwama attack case, in which a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 40 CRPF personnel.

ISIS Conspiracy Case: The NIA has investigated several cases related to the activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in India, including the ISIS Conspiracy Case in which several individuals were arrested for allegedly planning to carry out terror attacks in India.

Hizbul Mujahideen Funding Case: The NIA investigated the Hizbul Mujahideen funding case, in which several individuals were arrested for allegedly providing financial support to the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group in Jammu and Kashmir.

Illegal Arms and Ammunition Case: The NIA has also investigated several cases related to the illegal trafficking of arms and ammunition, including the seizure of a large cache of arms and ammunition from various parts of the country.

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