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Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 19
The Punjab Government has refused to hand over the investigation of the first-ever suspected Fidayeen attack in the state at Dinanagar on July 27 to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) saying it can handle the probe on its own.
Sources in the state government said Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini met with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and conveyed the state’s decision to continue with their probe claiming the investigation had reached a “crucial stage” and handing it over now could hinder its pace.
The NIA has been asking the MHA to allow it to take over the investigation of the Dinanagar attack so that a watertight case could be made to bring out the complicity of Pakistan in the attacks.
The Punjab Government is under fire from Central security agencies over the evidence collected and shared with them, especially the GPS coordinates. Both Intelligence Bureau and Border Security Force (BSF) have expressed their reservations over the “handling” of evidence by the Punjab Police — a charge strongly denied by Punjab Government.
While the sources refused to divulge anything on the status of the Punjab Police’s investigation citing international ramifications, they insisted the probe was continuing in the right direction.
“It was a conscious decision not to allow the Army take over the operation on the day of the attack. It was an attack on the police force and the police had to deal with it on its own,” said the source.
A decision had been taken at the highest level that the investigation, too, should be handled by the Punjab Police, considering its experience in dealing with cross-border terror and its intelligence on the fringe elements that could have supported the three terrorists killed in Dinanagar, the source added.
A senior official in the NIA said under the NIA Act, 2008, any state government which witnesses an attack, where the complicity of another country is suspected, should approach the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking its transfer to the NIA.
“In case of the Gurdaspur attack, the Punjab Government did not approach the MHA. But the NIA asked the Home Ministry that the case be transferred to them since it was a fit case to be dealt by the agency.
It is up to the ministry to decide. During the recent attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur, the Home Ministry directly asked the NIA to take over the investigation,” the official said.
The NIA had the best resources to decipher the crucial forensic and scientific evidence collected from the crime scene, the official said.“We can take up the Dinanagar case probe, but we may face hurdles while conducting the investigation on the ground,” said another NIA official.
Under the NIA Act, a “scheduled offence” includes the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and offences relating to waging war against India. The Dinanagar incident falls in this category.
“Though we cannot say anything in this regard, considering its international ramifications, the Punjab Police are doing a good job,” said Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the charge of Home department. Badal said the state government had beefed up security in the border areas by providing more jeeps and motorcycles for patrolling.
(With input from Shaurya K Gurung in Delhi)
Punjab refuses to hand over Gurdaspur terror probe to NIA
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 19
The Punjab Government has refused to hand over the investigation of the first-ever suspected Fidayeen attack in the state at Dinanagar on July 27 to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) saying it can handle the probe on its own.
Sources in the state government said Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini met with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and conveyed the state’s decision to continue with their probe claiming the investigation had reached a “crucial stage” and handing it over now could hinder its pace.
The NIA has been asking the MHA to allow it to take over the investigation of the Dinanagar attack so that a watertight case could be made to bring out the complicity of Pakistan in the attacks.
The Punjab Government is under fire from Central security agencies over the evidence collected and shared with them, especially the GPS coordinates. Both Intelligence Bureau and Border Security Force (BSF) have expressed their reservations over the “handling” of evidence by the Punjab Police — a charge strongly denied by Punjab Government.
While the sources refused to divulge anything on the status of the Punjab Police’s investigation citing international ramifications, they insisted the probe was continuing in the right direction.
“It was a conscious decision not to allow the Army take over the operation on the day of the attack. It was an attack on the police force and the police had to deal with it on its own,” said the source.
A decision had been taken at the highest level that the investigation, too, should be handled by the Punjab Police, considering its experience in dealing with cross-border terror and its intelligence on the fringe elements that could have supported the three terrorists killed in Dinanagar, the source added.
A senior official in the NIA said under the NIA Act, 2008, any state government which witnesses an attack, where the complicity of another country is suspected, should approach the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking its transfer to the NIA.
“In case of the Gurdaspur attack, the Punjab Government did not approach the MHA. But the NIA asked the Home Ministry that the case be transferred to them since it was a fit case to be dealt by the agency.
It is up to the ministry to decide. During the recent attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur, the Home Ministry directly asked the NIA to take over the investigation,” the official said.
The NIA had the best resources to decipher the crucial forensic and scientific evidence collected from the crime scene, the official said.“We can take up the Dinanagar case probe, but we may face hurdles while conducting the investigation on the ground,” said another NIA official.
Under the NIA Act, a “scheduled offence” includes the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and offences relating to waging war against India. The Dinanagar incident falls in this category.
“Though we cannot say anything in this regard, considering its international ramifications, the Punjab Police are doing a good job,” said Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the charge of Home department. Badal said the state government had beefed up security in the border areas by providing more jeeps and motorcycles for patrolling.
(With input from Shaurya K Gurung in Delhi)
Punjab refuses to hand over Gurdaspur terror probe to NIA
