NIA probing 497 cases including suicide blasts at Coimbatore: Govt tells RS

New Delhi, Dec 14: The Ministry of Home Affairs told the Rajya Sabha that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is handling 497 cases at present.

The ministry said that these include the Coimbatore blast case as well. In reply to an unstirred question 860 asked by Vaiko and M Shanmugam, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai said that as of December 2 2022, the NIA is probing 497 cases including the Coimbatore blast case.

Rai added that over the years, the NIA's capacity has increased and new offices were established and certain offences were included in its mandate in 2019 with relation to human trafficking, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism and the Explosives Substances Act 1908. All this made it possible for the NIA to handle more cases, Rai said.

When asked if the NIA was targeting certain communities, Rai said "National Investigation Agency is mandated to investigate and prosecute offences of grave nature affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, security of State, friendly relations with foreign States, matters relating to international treaties, etc., as specified in its Schedule. Cases having gravity including national/ international implications are entrusted to NIA without any bias or prejudice."

He also added that between 2019 and 2022, judgements were pronounced in 67 cases of which conviction was obtained in 65 cases and in only two cases were the accused acquitted.

Coimbatore blast case:

On October 23 there was an explosion in Jamesha Mubin's car. The investigation found that the cylinder blast took place inside a car near the Kottai Easwaran Temple in Coimbatore.

The investigation found that it was an act of terror. Further, preliminary investigations also found that Mubin was on his way to execute a suicide attack. Temples and Hindus were his possible targets, the probe has also learnt. The probe was handed over to the NIA after it was found that it had wide-spread ramifications.