(Image source from: Sputnik International)

The Home Ministry of India issued a notification Friday stating that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) can now investigate acts against Indians and Indian interests abroad.

The notification comes after Parliament cleared amendments to the NIA Act to give additional powers to the agency that also allow it to investigate cases of cybercrime and human trafficking.

The home ministry notification states: “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019 (16 of 2019), the Central Government hereby appoints the 2nd August 2019, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.”

This comes as the major amendment in the NIA Act since the investigation agency came into existence as a result of the Mumbai terror attack in which more than 150 people lost their lives.

As per new amendments in the Act, the NIA will now be allowed to investigate terrorist attacks on Indians and their interests abroad except cases of counterfeit currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, human trafficking, cyber-terrorism, and illegal acts under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

The amendments in the Act were cleared by Parliament on July 17 after the Bill was passed by both Houses. These new cases will be tried in a designated court in New Delhi as per the amendments.

The NIA is headquartered in New Delhi and has branches in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, and Jammu.

By Sowmya Sangam