National Investigation Agency
The National Investigation Agency 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 national security, terrorism, and other threats affecting the integrity and sovereignty of the nation. 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 insurgency, terrorism, and other related matters. It is empowered to investigate cases that involve threats to the integrity, security, and sovereignty 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 any type of authorization or permission from any state government 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 31st 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.
Organisation
NIA is headed by a director general, who is an IPS officer and has the rank of Director General of Police. NIA is headquartered in New Delhi. The director general of the NIA is assisted by special/additional directors general and inspectors general. There are branch offices across the country to ensure nationwide coverage and coordination in counterterrorism and other national security-related investigations. Senior officers are appointed through deputation from the Indian Police Service, the Indian Revenue Service, the Central Armed Police Force, and also from State Police Services. Conversely, subordinate personnel are selected directly via the Staff Selection Commission or through deputation from the Central Armed Police Force and various State Police forces.Officer Ranks in the NIA include DGs, ADGs, IGs, DIGs, SPs, and Add.SPs and DSPs.
Hierarchy
- Director General
- Special Director General/Additional Director General
- Inspector General
- Deputy Inspector General
- Superintendent
- Additional Superintendent
- Deputy Superintendent
Subordinates
- Inspector
- Sub inspector
- Assistant Sub Inspector
- Head constable
- Constable
Director General
Legal basis
A bill for the formation of the National Investigation Agency was passed by Parliament in December 2008. As per the legislation, NIA has concurrent jurisdiction, which empowers the Central Agency to probe terror attacks in any part of the country, covering offences including challenges to the country's sovereignty and integrity, bomb blasts, hijacking of aircraft and ships, and attacks on nuclear installations. The amendments to the NIA Act have brought offences relating to the smuggling in high-quality counterfeit Indian currency under the definition of a terrorist act aimed at damaging the monetary stability of the country and therefore open to investigation by the NIA.The National Investigative Agency Bill and Unlawful Activities Amendment Bill became law on 30 December 2008, as President Pratibha Patil gave her assent to the legislation, which was passed in the last session of the parliament.
NIA (Amendment) Act, 2019
The NIA Bill 2019 was passed by the parliament on 17 July 2019. The Bill aims to give more teeth to the investigating powers of the NIA. It empowers the NIA to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests abroad. The amended legislation, which aims to primarily empower the anti-terror agency to investigate scheduled offences such as human trafficking; circulation of fake currency; manufacture and sale of prohibited arms; and cyber-terrorism, was passed with a majority of 278 votes in favour and six against in the Lok Sabha. It was also passed in the Rajya Sabha after those opposed to it staged a walkout. This amendment will now also allow NIA to investigate the Sri Lanka Easter Bombings and Kabul Gurudwara bombing.Vision
The organisation aims to be a thoroughly professional investigative agency, matching the best international standards. It aims to set the standards of excellence in counter terrorism and other national security-related investigations at the national level by developing into a highly trained, partnership-oriented workforce. It also aims at creating deterrence for existing and potential terrorist groups/individuals. It aims to develop as a storehouse of all terrorist related information.Jurisdiction
The Agency has been empowered to conduct investigation and prosecution of offences under the Acts specified in the Schedule of the NIA Act. A State Government may request the Central Government to hand over the investigation of a case to the NIA, provided the case has been registered for the offences as contained in the schedule to the NIA Act. The Central Government can also order NIA to take over the investigation of any scheduled offence anywhere in India. Officers of the NIA who are drawn from the Indian Police Service, Paramilitary Forces and Indian Revenue Service have all powers, privileges and liabilities which police officers have in connection with the investigation of any offence.In 2016, Home Minister Rajnath Singh wanted to end the central agency's dependence on approval from state police chiefs before confiscating or attaching assets of people accused of crime.
The National Investigation Agency Act, 2019 states that officers of the NIA will have the power to investigate scheduled offences committed outside India, subject to international treaties and domestic laws of other countries. The central government may direct the NIA to investigate such cases, as if the offence has been committed in India. The Special Court in New Delhi will have jurisdiction over these cases.
Special NIA Courts
Various Special Courts have been established by the Central Government of India for the trial of the cases registered at various police stations of NIA under Sections 11 and 22 of the NIA Act 2008. Any question as to the jurisdiction of these courts is decided by the Central Government. These 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 has also been empowered to transfer the cases from one special court to any other special court within or outside the state if in the interest of justice, in light of the prevailing circumstances in any particular state. The NIA Special Courts are empowered with all powers of the court of sessions under Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for the trial of any offence.Trials by these courts are held on a day-to-day basis on all working days and have precedence over the trial of any other case against the accused in any other court and have to be concluded in preference to the trial of such other case. An appeal from any judgment, sentence, or order, not being an interlocutory order, of a Special Court lies to the High Court both on facts and on law. Such an appeal can be heard by a division bench of two Judges of the High Court. At present, there are 38 Special NIA Courts. State Governments have also been empowered to appoint one or more such special courts in their states.
Success of NIA
Individual terrorists
In 2012, NIA with the assistance of Interpol and Saudi Intelligence agencies, successfully arrested terrorists namely: Abu Jundal alias Abu Hamza, Fasih Mohammad and Yaseen Bhatkal.In 2013, NIA was successful in arresting two senior members of Indian Mujahideen, namely Ahmed Siddibappa Zaraar alias Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, at the Indo—Nepal border in Bihar on 29 August 2013. These two were instrumental in the commission of several terrorist attacks across the country for the past several years, under the banner of Indian Mujahideen, a proscribed terrorist organisation.
On 8 April 2025, a team of NIA agents took custody of Tahawwur Rana from the United States Marshals Service, a co-conspirator of the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, after his plea to stop extradition was rejected by the Supreme Court of the United States.The plane carrying Rana reached the Palam Air base in New Delhi on 10 April 2025. He was immediately sent to an 18-day NIA custody by a special NIA court in Delhi, and is currently being interrogated for his involvement in the attack as well as face trial for the attack.