A Bill seeking to further strengthen the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by giving it powers to probe attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests on foreign soil was introduced in LokSabha on Monday.
Introducing the National Investigation Agency (Amendment)Bill, 2019, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said thelegislation would also allow the NIA probe cyber crimes and cases of humantrafficking. Through the legislation, the government wants to furtherstrengthen the NIA Act, Reddy said, adding the agency will be empowered toconduct investigation in any part of the world if any attack targeting Indiansor Indian interests takes place.
The NIA was set up in 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai attackwhich had claimed 166 lives.
Opposing the Bill, Congress leader ShashiTharoor said thecourts were already clogged with huge backlog and now the government was addingmore cases through the amendment in the NIA Act.
Tharoor alleged that the Bill was “not based onlogic” and was a “piecemeal” legislation.
The Bill does not insulate the NIA from politicalinterference, he said.Indian Union Muslim League MP P K Kunhalikuttysaid when the government is widening the powers of the investigation agencies,there should be another set of measures or provisions to ensure that the powersare not misused.