Impose UAPA Without Hesitation, Amit Shah tells Agencies

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Amit Shah Asks Agencies to Learn from NIA in Combating Terrorism

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, November 8: Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah has asked the investigating agencies to impose UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) “without hesitation”. Shah asked the agencies to learn from the NIA (National Investigative Agency) on the use of UAPA.

“Wherever there is a need to impose UAPA, it should be imposed without hesitation. And wherever UAPA is imposed, it is the responsibility of your supervisory authority that its investigation will be done on the lines of NIA,” Shah told agencies while addressing a meeting on ant-terrorism in the national capital on Thursday.

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The Minister spotlighted the NIA as an exemplar. “How should investigation be done in UAPA cases and how should prosecution be done? I want to give an example because NIA also uses UAPA,” added Shah.

He stated that NIA has registered 632 cases and has filed chargesheets in 498 of the registered cases. “In about 500 cases, the conviction rate is more than 95 per cent. If NIA can do this, why can’t the state police do it,” added Shah.

The minister stated that the “fight against terrorism does not mean catching some conspiracy and exposing it”. “The fight against terrorism means legally strengthening the hands of the agencies fighting against terrorism; creating such an ecosystem on the basis of which our fight against terrorism becomes strong; and I want to tell all of you today because it (terrorism) keeps getting smaller and smaller,” asserted Shah.

Shah said that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi amended the NIA Act on August 2, 2019. “New crimes were also added and extra territorial jurisdiction was also given. NIA can now investigate abroad as well. UAPA was also amended on 14 August 2019 and the power to confiscate property was given along with power to declare an organization as terrorist under UAPA,” said Shah.

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The Minister stressed that the police stations have to be strengthened in fight against terrorism. “Till the time the police station is not fully prepared to fight against terrorism, we cannot fight this battle because any information will come from the police station level, whether it will come to the state IB or the IB of the Government of India,” said Shah.

He stated that there will be a need to create a special vision. “The police station officers have to collect intelligence, and do targeted investigations. The state heads should also make an SOP for intelligence collection. We should move forward according to our respective states,” added Shah.

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