Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 14: In a major step towards curbing terrorism and expediting investigations in terror related cases, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given its nod to set up a separate and exclusive office of National Investigating Agency (NIA) for four States of Northern India, which will be headquartered in Jammu.
This will be fifth office of NIA in the country, which presently has four offices including Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Kochi. The Agency was headquartered at New Delhi.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the MHA has given nod for setting up of an independent office of the NIA at Jammu to cover four North Indian States of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. At present, all these States were being covered by New Delhi headquarters of the NIA by deputing their officials for investigations and raids, wherever and whenever required.
“The exclusive office for Jammu and Kashmir with area of operation extended to three more States, which were peaceful and almost free of militancy, was necessitated following recent terror attack at Udhampur and Dinanagar in Gurdaspur, Punjab, bordering Kathua district of Jammu region, followed by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) network in Kashmir, where an alive Pakistani militant was arrested after the apprehension of Pakistani Mohammad Naved from Narsu encounter in Udhampur district on August 5,” sources said, adding the proposal was mooted immediately after the terror attack at Udhampur in which two BSF jawans were killed and scores of others were injured.
The MHA after due consideration and taking into account various aspects of militancy has given nod for opening up of the Agency’s office in Jammu, sources said. They added that the proposal would now require to be cleared by couple of more Central Departments, which deal with posting of officers and financial implications.
The Jammu office of the NIA was expected to have 80 officers and will be headed by an officer of the rank of the DIG. It will have two SSPs and rest officers will comprise other ranks including SPs, DySPs, Inspectors, Sub Inspectors and constables. Some of the officers could be drawn from Jammu and Kashmir Police on deputation.
Already, Jammu and Kashmir cadre IPS officer Atul Goel, SSP is Incharge of investigations in Narsu militant attack case in Udhampur. Some officers from Jammu and Kashmir Police have been deputed with the NIA to assist them in investigations and raids.
Sources said the full fledged NIA office in Jammu will help the Central investigating agencies to speed up probe in the cases assigned to it in four Northern Indian States and conduct search operations expeditiously.
The NIA has so far arrested four militants and Over Ground Workers in connection with Narsu attack and identified a number of others, who had helped Mohammad Naved and Momen, both Pakistani militants in carrying out the attack on August 5. While Momen was gunned down by the BSF jawans in retaliatory firing, Naved was captured alive by the villagers along with arms and ammunition.
Days later, another Pakistani militant was nabbed alive by the security forces in the Kashmir valley, who was also jointly interrogated by the NIA along with Naved.
During Narsu attack investigations, the NIA officials had to shuttle between New Delhi and Jammu and Jammu to Kashmir to carry out searches and arrest the accused with the help of Jammu and Kashmir Police. With independent office in Jammu, the NIA could handle the investigations more easily, sources said, adding that some more terror related cases could also be given to the Agency. However, it may be mentioned here that Punjab Government had refused to hand over Dinanagar terror attack case to the NIA.
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