A newer, better NIA to take on IM's challenge

The National Investigation Agency, which was set up to investigate cases related to terrorism, has not exactly lived up to its promise. It often ends up playing second fiddle  and picking up the pieces of the local police's probe while working on such cases.

While some experts blame ego clashes between the various agencies for the NIA's lack of success, others feel that the agency should take up more responsibility.

Some local police teams have even complained to the Union home ministry about the high handed ways of NIA officials and the fact that their interference often delayed investigations. Once the NIA arrives at the scene, local policemen have to waste their time sharing all the information with the agency officials, delaying their investigation.

The NIA will be reshaped as an agency that will study the finer aspects of terror cases and probe international links to such incidents, like the 26/11 terror attack.

Experts point out that the NIA was being revamped as it had failed to curb the activities of the Indian Mujahideen. In the past, terror strikes in Karnataka have been carried out by the Bihar module, Pune module has been behind an incident in Delhi and a case in Gujarat has been orchestrated by the Maharashtra module.

While the police have managed to bust these modules, the IM continues to remain active.

A central agency -- that can analyse the links between various modules located across India and how they are coordinating their operations -- has a better shot at tackling the IM.

The local police may fumble due to ego clashes when they have to seek information from another state. Terror operative Yasin Bhatkal had managed to flee while the Delhi police and the Maharashtra police bickered over him.

Now the NIA will operate on a broader scale and file a fresh FIR in cases with an IM connection. The FIR will collate all the data and evidence gathered by the local police.

The NIA will also study trends, like indoctrination of several youth who have joined the IM, to get a clearer picture of the outfit.

"The IM continues to function as they are confident that none of us have actually understood their modus operandi. The manner in which they are recruited, the way they network between states, their international link and also their technical intelligence is something that has been spoken about but never understood. We need to get to the root of the problem. Once we do that, it would be a much easier to combat and stop them," said an official of the NIA.