NIA streamlined with FBI in new Act

Hyderabad: With the Lok Sabha passing the Bill to amend the NIA Act in the Lok Sabha on Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central agency to combat terror in the country, is on par with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States which has investigated extraterritorial terror activities including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

To begin with, the NIA will have increased correspondence with not only FBI, but also the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), America’s Intelligence agency, and Mossad, the Israel Intelligence agency, what with both the US and Israel sharing good ties with India which will enable more flow of information about terror organisations operating across the globe.

Importantly, NIA officials will be able to swiftly visit any country where Indians or Indian interests including embassies, are targeted, the most recent case being the death of eight Indian citizens in the deadly multiple bomb blasts in Sri Lanka.

The Lok Sabha passed the NIA Amendment Bill, 2019 after a heated debate between Union home minister Amit Shah and the Opposition. Minister of state for home G. Kishan Reddy said the new law will allow NIA to probe cases of terrorism targeting Indians and Indian assets abroad and empower the agency to investigate cases of arms and human trafficking besides those linked to Cyber terrorism. The Act allows for the creation of special courts for the trial of scheduled offences. The Bill amends the NIA Act, 2008.

“Just like the FBI assisted Indian agencies in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks (26/11), the NIA will henceforth be able to offer investigative assistance to the senior leadership of the host country and its law enforcement agencies. Over the last one decade, there have been quite a few instances wherein Indians or Indian interests have been targeted on foreign soil,” an NIA official told Deccan Chronicle.

“Now, like the FBI investigated transnational crimes, NIA too will be able to probe incidents of terrorism targeting our citizens and assets abroad,'' he said.

In the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks which killed six US citizens, the FBI, through their regional legal attache in New Delhi, extended an offer of investigative assistance to the Indian agencies and the then UPA government had given its consent. Subsequently, FBI personnel were deployed in Mumbai and they even interviewed 60 individuals and witnesses who gave them first hand accounts of the attacks.

The FBI personnel also spoke to the security men who responded to the attacks. The Indian government gave unprecedented access to the evidence and Intelligence pertaining to the attack, available with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and other agencies.

“As and when the NIA has to visit any foreign nation, it will be as per the host country’s legal requirements and with full regard to the sovereign interests of that country. This will go a long way in combating transnational terror activities,” the official said.  According to him, working with their foreign counterparts will result in establishing multilateral working groups. “Best practices among them can be shared and the multiple agencies can find out ways to work together more closely in the investigation of extraterritorial terrorist acts. Intelligence sharing will be prompt and increase manifold,”  he said.

Former DGP of Jammu and Kashmir K. Rajendra, who was witness to heightened terrorist activities while in office, told this newspaper that the move by the Centre was long overdue to protect Indian citizens from being harmed on foreign soil. “With terrorism transcending borders, there is a need to have enabling legislation for the law enforcement agencies to fight and investigate all such cases not only in India but elsewhere with active cooperation of member countries with whom we have a close rapport and mutual agreements,” he said, adding that the global war on terrorism now seems to be a long drawn battle with radicalization spreading rapidly through cyber space.  “As of now, there is an informal channel of exchanging intelligence between the US and India, which started post 26/11. Even Israel is in touch with India but now that the NIA has been given more powers, the exchange of information,  studying each other best practices etc, will get a boost,” said  another official.