The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was formed in 2008. It is the primary counter terrorist task force of India. It was formed after the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act in 2008 by the Parliament Of India on 31 December 2008. After the 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks, which revealed the failure of intelligence and ability to track such activities by existing agencies in India. They can deal with any terror related crime across states without special permission of states under written statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The headquarter of NIA is in New Delhi, and it has branches in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, Jammu, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Chennai and Imphal.
The NIA contains the NIA Most- Wanted List.
The founding Director- General of NIA was Radha Vinod Raju. He was succeeded by Sharad Chandra Sinha. Radha Vinod Raju served NIA until 31 January 2010.
After that, Navneet Rajan Wasan held full charge of D.G. until 2013.
In July 2013, Sharad Kumar was appointed as the chief of National Investigation Agency. In 2017, Y.C. Modi was appointed as the Chief of NIA and he was succeeded by Kuldeep Singh in June 2021.
Why was the NIA created ?
After the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks, we needed an agency for investigating terror related crime across states of India.
The NIA was established to be a thoroughly professional investigative agency. They are matching the best international standards. It’s aim is to set the standards of excellence in counter terrorism. They can also conduct other national security related investigations at the national level. The NIA also developed a highly trained partnership oriented workforce to set the standards for excellence.
The success of NIA
Abu Jundal, Faiz Mohammad Yaseen Bhatkal was arrested by the NIA in the year 2012. They were arrested with the assistance of Interpol and Saudi Intelligence.
In 2013, they arrested Ahmed Siddibappa Zaraar alias Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, who were the senior members of Indian Mujahideen. They were arrested from the Indo Nepal Border in Bihar on 29 August 2013. Indian Mujahideen is a terrorist organsation banned in India by the Indian Government.
The NIA was also active against the war against terror in Jammu and Kashmir. They also arrested the people involved in the stone pelting against the Indian Armed Forces. They also arrested the Kashmiri photojournalist Kamran Yusuf for stone pelting.
There is some controversy regarding NIA, as law and order is a state matter but NIA conducts its investigation throughout the country without any special permission from states.
Moreover, in 2020, Chhattisgarh state filed a case against the act in the Supreme Court of India.
