Delhi police gets special powers under NSA for four months

According to the notification issued by the LG on October 19, the Delhi police can now arrest anyone under the NSA through the powers vested under the Act.

New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena has granted special powers to the Delhi police under the National Security Act to intensify the crackdown on terrorism for the next four months. According to the notification issued by the Lieutenant Governor on October 19, the Delhi police can now arrest anyone under the NSA through the powers vested under the Act.

These powers will be effective from October 19, 2022 to 18 January 2023, the notification reads. After the issuance of this order, the Delhi police has become the most powerful police force in the country. So far only the NIA was mandated to make arrests under the National Security Act. The history of the NSA dates back to British rule in India.

Under this law, any suspect can be arrested by the police. In 1818, the British made a law named Bengal Regulation III of 1818, which also had a provision to arrest the suspect. The Rowlatt Act in 1919 was also similar to the laws. Under the NSA, a suspect can be detained for a maximum of one year without the police having to frame charges. The person taken into the custody of the investigating agency can appeal before the High Court.