The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is India’s central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency . Established in 2009 following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, the NIA investigates and prosecutes offenses that threaten India’s sovereignty, security, and integrity, with a specific focus on terrorism, insurgency, and related matters .
Detailed overview of the NIA in India:
- Mandate and Authority: The NIA is empowered to investigate and prosecute offenses that have national and cross-border implications . It can conduct searches, seizures, and arrests without a warrant, collect evidence, and maintain a database of terrorist organizations and their members . Unlike other national-level agencies, the NIA does not require permission from state governments to carry out its activities .
- Legal Basis: The NIA was created through the National Investigation Agency Act 2008, enacted by the Parliament of India . Amendments to the NIA Act have expanded its jurisdiction to include offenses such as smuggling high-quality counterfeit Indian currency, which is now considered a terrorist act .
- Organization: The NIA is headed by a Director General (DG), an IPS officer with the rank of Director General of Police . The agency is headquartered in New Delhi and has branch offices across the country . Senior officers are drawn from the Indian Police Service (IPS), the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and State Police Services (SPS) .
- Jurisdiction: The NIA has the power to investigate offenses under the Acts specified in the Schedule of the NIA Act . A State Government can request the Central Government to hand over a case to the NIA if it pertains to offenses within the NIA Act’s schedule . The Central Government can also order the NIA to take over the investigation of any scheduled offense anywhere in India . The NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019, allows NIA officers to investigate scheduled offenses committed outside India, subject to international treaties and domestic laws of other countries .
- Special NIA Courts: Special Courts have been established by the Central Government for trials of cases registered by the NIA . These courts are presided over by a judge appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the High Court with jurisdiction in that region . The Supreme Court of India can transfer cases from one special court to another within or outside the state if it’s in the interest of justice .
- Recent Activities:
- In April 2025, the NIA secured the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, from the United States .
- The NIA is actively investigating the Pahalgam terror attack, intensifying the search for evidence and questioning eyewitnesses to uncover the terror conspiracy .
- Successes: The NIA has achieved success in arresting individual terrorists and taking action against terrorist organizations . For example, in 2012, with the help of Interpol and Saudi Intelligence, the NIA arrested terrorists such as Abu Jundal, Fasih Mohammad, and Yaseen Bhatkal . The agency has also been active in counter-terrorism efforts in Jammu and Kashmir .
