Centre may amend laws to allow NIA probe Indian interests abroad

“The draft bills have been under discussion for the last two years. After deliberations with all the stakeholders, which includes central ministries and state governments, the MHA plans to seek approval from the Union Cabinet before introducing in the upcoming session of Parliament,” a top MHA official had told The Indian Express last year.

An amendment to Schedule 4 of UAPA will allow the probe agency to designate a suspected individual as a terrorist. Currently, only organisations can be declared as ‘terrorist organisations’.

This decision was taken following the reports of youths joining the Islamic State. There are 39 groups in the list of banned terrorist organisations under Section 35 of the UAPA.

The NIA was set up in 2009 in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack that had claimed the lives of as many as 166 people. The NIA Act empowers the agency to investigate offences under eight special laws, including the UAPA.

On Monday, the Union cabinet will also deliberate introducing a fresh bill to extend the facility of proxy voting to Indians living abroad. A similar bill had lapsed after the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month.