NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) secured a 100 per cent conviction rate in 2024, with 68 accused convicted in the 25 cases decided by Special NIA courts across the country.
A total of 210 accused were arrested across key categories of crimes – left-wing extremism, North-East insurgency, Khalistani terrorism, gangster-terrorist-smuggler nexus etc -in 80 cases registered by NIA in 2024.A total 662 raids and searches were carried out by the agency across the country.
The year was marked by convictions of 68 accused (in 25 cases) and chargesheeting of 408 accused. NIA got 137 properties/assets worth Rs 19.57 crore attached during 2024.
In terms of cases registered by NIA during the year, those linked to left-wing extremism and North-East insurgency topped the list at 28 and 18 cases respectively. Seven cases related to terrorism in J&K and four to Khalistan elements were also filed.
As many as 69 of the total 210 arrests made by NIA were in left wing extremism cases.
North-East insurgency was also high on NIA’s radar with 15 arrests, of which five were in two cases linked to the Independence Day boycott call given by Paresh Baruah-led ULFA(I) in Assam.
The crackdown on the growing terrorist-gangster nexus was also a key highlight of the year. NIA arrested 14 accused in connection with foreign-based Khalistani terrorist cases during the year, which saw 101 searches and 13 arrests in these cases.
The agency’s agile efforts in cracking terror cases were evident in the fact it had chargesheeted Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Wadhawa Singh @ Babbar and five others in the murder of VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar @ Vikas Bagga in Punjab within months of the attack. Similarly, 10 accused, including foreign-based terrorist Goldy Brar, were expeditiously chargesheeted in the case pertaining to firing for extortion at the house of a businessman in Chandigarh by aides of Brar.
NIA scaled up its operations multifold in 2024, cracking the Rameshwaram cafe blast case within months.
