Supreme Court Challenges Validity of NIA Act of 2008

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre and other related parties in response to a plea questioning the validity of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008. The plea asserts that the Act breaches Article 14 of the Constitution and lies outside the legislative scope of the Centre.

Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing the petitioner, argued that 'police' falls under the State List. He challenged the authority of the NIA to register an FIR, as it is not a traditional police entity. The court has demanded a counter affidavit from the respondents within four weeks.

The bench led by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta emphasized the critical nature of the questions involved. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati was prompted to explain provisions like the suo motu power under Section 6 (5). The court reserved the next hearing on the matter for July 14.

(With inputs from agencies.)