Amit Shah hails NIA, urges officials to share info to curb terrorism

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday suggested to the top brass of India's intelligence agencies not to work in silos instead "share intelligence inputs with one another." Writes ETV Bharat's Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday suggested to the top brass of India's intelligence agencies not to work in silos instead "share intelligence inputs with one another." He said that the Central government is working on a national database related to internal security covering bomb blasts, terror funding, hawala, narcotics, fake currency, etc.

"Any organization or any data, if it is maintained in silos, it is of no use. But if it is shared with each other and analyzed properly, it will be very helpful," said Shah here while addressing the 13th foundation day of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Arvind Kumar, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Samant Goel, National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief Kuldiep Singh and several other senior officials of different agencies were present at the program.

Talking about intelligence sharing and human rights violations, Shah stated that there should be coordination for intelligence sharing among different agencies and the State police. He said that the central anti-terror probe agency, national intelligence grid, and intelligence bureau have been working on this. Asserting that the Central government has adopted a zero-tolerance attitude against terrorism, Shah said that his government is taking all required steps to make India terror-free.

He assured NIA that necessary support will be provided by the Centre on the issue of human rights violations. Shah said that terrorism is the biggest human rights violation. "Fighting terrorism can't be contradictory to the protection of human rights as nothing violates human rights like terrorism," Shah said.

Home Minister also said that whenever there is any operation, human rights organizations accused the forces of violating human rights. "But I believe there is nothing that violates human rights as much as terrorism," he added. Talking about the rise of NIA's status as a premier investigating agency, Shah said that ever since NIA was formed following the Mumbai terror attack of 26/11, the agency has achieved various milestones. "The NIA has investigated over 400 cases since 2009 and filed charge sheets in at least 349 cases. NIA has recorded a conviction rate of 93% in its cases," Shah said.

In such a short period of 13 years, NIA has worked hard and probed terrorism, terror funding, Maoism as well as insurgency, Amit Shah said. In 2018-19, the cases of terror funding, NIA registered in J&K was able to uproot terrorism. "After NIA registered terror funding cases, the easy ways of terror funding are no more available to terror groups," Shah added.

Home Minister also said that in 2020-21, NIA registered several cases against overground workers (OGW) of terror groups. "The agency was able to destroy many sleeper cells of the terrorist organization." He said that NIA is also investigating terror funding cases of Naxals. "A total of 105 terror funding cases have been registered by NIA where charge sheets have been filed against 94 accused. As many as 796 have also been arrested and 100 have been convicted," informed Shah

He said that this government has created a modus operandi bureau in which the NIA has been directed to assist BPR&D to study the modus operandi behind terror groups. Applauding the work of NIA, Shah said that a cell of two experts has been set up to develop NIA along the lines of other anti-terror agencies in the world.

The Home Minister appealed to the security agencies to adopt new methods, techniques as well as data and information for investigation instead of using the third degree. "Investigation can no more depend on the third degree, investigation should depend on technique, data, and information," Shah said.

In his address, NIA director-general Kuldiep Singh said that ever since NIA started functioning in 2009, the agency at present has 18 branches across India. "By 2024, we aim to have NIA branches all over India," Singh said. "NIA has registered 400 cases since its inception. In 349 cases chargesheet have been filed. As many as 2494 people have been arrested and 391 have been convicted with a conviction rate of 93.25 percent," Singh added.

He informed that NIA has set up different verticals for different terror-related activities. "These vertices will study and suggest new methodologies for investigation," Singh concludes.