Supreme Court expands ambit of NIA, says it can probe non-scheduled offences

NEW DELHI: Expanding the ambit of National Investigation Agency, SC on Monday ruled that NIA can investigate non-scheduled offences falling under the jurisdiction of police, if it finds evidence to link these crimes and criminals to the scheduled offences being investigated by it.

Expressing grave concern over proliferation of substance abuse due to easy availability of drugs and narcotic substances through cross-border smuggling, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh said, "If any other offence is connected with the scheduled offence, NIA may investigate such other offence which the accused is alleged to have committed provided there is a connection of such other offence with the scheduled offence."

Writing the judgment, Justice Nagarathna accepted additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati's submission that NIA was rightly permitted by the Centre to probe cases under NDPS Act in relation to cross-border narco-terrorism. The bench said, "The debilitating impact of drug trade and drug abuse is an immediate and serious concern for India. As the globe grapples with the menace of escalating substance use disorders and an ever-accessible drug market, the consequences leave a generational imprint on public health and even national security."

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