NIA has registered 497 cases till Dec 2: Nityanand Rai

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a total of 497 cases till December 2 this year, including the Coimbatore blast.

He said that an increase in the cases had been recorded in the recent years.

Rai in a written reply said that from 2019 to 2022, judgement in 67 NIA cases was pronounced by the court, of which 65 resulted in conviction and 2 in acquittal.

Citing reasons for the rise in cases, Rai said: "The reason for the increase in cases over the years is due to enhanced capacity of NIA with the establishment of new branch offices, expansion of its mandate in 2019 by the inclusion of certain offences related to human trafficking, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908 in the schedule of National Investigation Agency Act, 2008."

The MHA also underlined that the agency was not biased against any particular community.

Rai said the NIA is entrusted with investigating and prosecuting offences that affect the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, matters connected with international treaties, etc.

He said: "Cases having gravity including national/international implications are entrusted to NIA without any bias or prejudice."