By IANS
New Delhi : Members of a parliamentary panel attached to the home ministry Thursday demanded a separate federal authority to deal with crimes threatening India’s security, in the backdrop of a string of terror attacks across the country.
At a meeting of the consultative committee of the ministry chaired by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, members stressed the need for a central agency to investigate cases of terrorism and other related crimes that have inter-state and international ramifications.
“They were of the view that such crimes should be clearly defined and a proper law framed for a central agency to investigate such cases. The final decision in this regard should be taken after consultations with the state governments,” said a ministry spokesperson.
With India increasingly coming on the radar of global Islamist terror as evidenced by the pronouncements of the Al Qaeda leadership and the series of terror attacks in the last two years, this issue has now been given topmost consideration, said a home ministry official.
“After the multiple terror attacks in three cities in Uttar Pradesh that has got many worried, the issue is back on the radar. Let us see how it proceeds.”
In August, a government appointed committee submitted a key report on criminal justice recommending a separate authority at the national level to deal with crimes threatening the country’s security.
Such a professional body, argues its author Madhava Menon, a former director of Bangalore’s National Law School, should be comparable to the Election Commission or the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
He felt the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is not “independent” enough for the job nor does it have the resources, jurisdiction or personnel required.
The report also expressed serious concern over crimes affecting national security like terrorism, hijacking and drug trafficking and suggested that crimes relating to internal security be classified as federal crimes.
Moreover, in the last two years both the police and investigative agencies have been unsuccessful in cracking the conspiracies, establishing international linkages or zeroing in on the perpetrators behind the many blasts.
Those who attended the meeting included S. Lalhmingliana, D. Raja and K. Malaisamy of the Rajya Sabha and Manoranjan Bhakta, Sarbananda Sonowal and Mohan Singh of the Lok Sabha.
Both ministers of state for home, Manikrao H. Gavit and V. Radhika Selvi as well as Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta were present.