NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY (Syllabus: GS Paper 2– Polity)
Context: Recently, the National Investigation Agency lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Khalistani extremist and Sikhs For Justice founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun over his threatening video towards passengers flying with Air India.
National Investigation Agency (NIA)
- About: NIA is India's primary Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.
- Nodal Ministry: It operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Establishment: NIA was established in response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks through the National Investigation Agency Act 2008.
- Jurisdiction: NIA has the authority to investigate and handle terrorism-related crimes across Indian states without requiring special permission from the states.
oState Governments can request the Central Government to transfer cases to NIA if they involve offenses listed in the NIA Act's schedule.
oIn 2019, the jurisdiction of the NIA was extended. Consequently, the NIA is also empowered to probe the offences relating to human trafficking, counterfeit currency or bank notes, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism and explosive substances.
- Headquarters: News Delhi.
- NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019:
oIt applied the provisions to persons who commit a scheduled offence beyond India against Indian citizens or affecting the interest of India.
oIt provided NIA officers with powers, duties, privies and liabilities in connection with the investigation of offences, not only in India but also outside India.
oIt empowered the central government, with respect to a scheduled offence committed outside India, to direct the NIA to register the case and take up investigation as if such offence has taken place in India.
oIt provided that the central government and the state governments may designate Sessions Courts as Special Courts for conducting the trial of offences under the NIA Act.
oIt inserted certain new offences in the Schedule of the NIA Act
