Govt plans to amend NIA Act, UAPA

To give more power to the NIA, the government plans to amend the act under which the terror probe agency was created and also effect changes in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), officials said today.

The draft bills for the amendments to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act and counter-terror law UAPA are being prepared and may be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament that begins on Wednesday.

As per the proposed move, the NIA will be allowed to probe cases of terror attacks on Indians in abroad and seize and attach property representing proceeds of terrorism. It will also make the probe agency the nodal authority for probing cases of human trafficking, an official said.

The need to give more powers to the NIA to probe terror cases have come up after multiple terrorist attacks took place on Indian missions in Afghanistan.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has similar powers, which were exercised to conduct parallel probes after the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which six Americans were killed.

The proposed amendments in the UAPA will allow the government to designate an individual suspected to have terror links as a terrorist, another official said.

Such an amendment in the UAPA will allow the government to proscribe such individuals who are not associated with any terror organisation but indulge in terror acts independently.

The NIA was established in 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack which claimed 166 lives.