Guwahati zonal office key as NIA expands nationwide footprint with 21 branches, 52 special courts: MoS Home

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has significantly expanded its presence across the country, strengthening its role as India’s premier counter-terror probe body, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on December 2.

Rai said the NIA now operates 21 branch offices nationwide, supported by two Zonal Offices—including one in Guwahati and another in Jammu—along with its headquarters in New Delhi. The expansion aims to enhance the agency’s reach, response capability and coordination in tackling offences that threaten India’s sovereignty, security and international relations.

The minister stated that the agency currently has 1,901 sanctioned posts, of which 769 were approved in the last five years alone, reflecting a substantial strengthening of manpower.

To support faster and more specialised trials, the government has designated 52 NIA Special Courts across the country. Three of these—located in Ranchi, Jammu and Mumbai—have been assigned exclusively for handling offences investigated by the NIA.

Responding to a question by MP Dilip Saikia, Rai reiterated that the NIA was established under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, to function as a central counter-terror law enforcement agency. The agency investigates offences impacting national security, state integrity, India’s relations with foreign nations and matters linked to international treaties listed under the NIA Act.

The reply underlined that the government continues to strengthen the NIA’s institutional framework, infrastructure and investigative capacity as part of broader national security measures.