National Investigation Agency

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the principal counter-terrorism law enforcement agency in India. Established under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, it is tasked with investigating and combating offenses related to terrorism, national security, and other threats affecting the sovereignty and integrity of the country. It operates under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The primary mandate of the agency is to investigate and prosecute offences that have national and cross-border implications, specifically focusing on terrorism, insurgency, and other related matters. It is empowered to investigate cases that involve threats to the sovereignty, security, and integrity of India.

It has the authority to conduct searches, make seizures and arrests without warrant, as well as to collect evidence and maintain a database of terrorist organisations and their members. The NIA does not need permission from state governments in order to carry out its activities, unlike other national-level agencies.

The agency came into existence with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008 by the Parliament of India on 31 December 2008, which was passed after the deadly 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai. Such an attack revealed the failure of intelligence and ability to track such activities by existing agencies in India, hence the Government of India realised the need for a specific body to deal with terror related activities in India, thereby establishing the NIA. Headquartered in New Delhi, the NIA has branches in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, Jammu, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Chennai and Imphal. It maintains the NIA Most Wanted list. Its functioning and effectiveness have also been subject to scrutiny, with debates regarding its jurisdiction, accountability, and coordination with other agencies.