Rajya Sabha passed The National Investigation Agency (NIA) bill on Wednesday, allowing it to probe terrorist acts against Indians and Indian interests abroad.
The Bill amends NIA Act, 2008 that provides for a national-level agency to investigate and prosecute offences listed in the scheduled offences, was passed by Rajya Sabha with a voice vote.
Further, the Act allows for creation of Special Courts for the trial of scheduled offences.
The bill has been already passed by the Lok Sabha on July 15.
the government in Lok Sabha had refuted opposition's claims of "misuse" of the NIA law to target members of a community and asserted its only goal is to finish off terrorism.
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The NIA was set up in 2009 in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack that had claimed 166 lives. Since 2017, the Union Home Ministry has been pushing for giving more powers tothe NIA to meet fresh challenges.
(With inputs from PTI)
