NIA SP Vikas Garg suspended over allegations of corruption

New Delhi: The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) has suspended Vishal Garg, an SP rank officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for the second time over allegations of corruption.

Sources in the NIA confirmed Garg’s suspension, but said they were not aware of the charges against him.

They have indicated that graft allegations have been made in connection with a case registered in Manipur regarding militant group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM).

Garg, who originally served in the Border Security Force (BSF), was one of the first officials inducted into the NIA after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

This is the second instance of an NIA officer being accused of corruption. Earlier, Arvind Negi was charged with corruption in a case related to the nexus between Kashmir-based NGOs and terrorists. He was accused of passing on Lashkar-related documents allegedly to Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez in exchange for money.

In 2019, Garg and two other NIA officials were placed under suspension for allegedly demanding ₹2 crore from a Delhi-based businessman in exchange for not naming him in a terrorism funding case involving Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. NIA had ordered a probe against Garg and the two officials, Nishant and Mithilesh, who were then posted with its intelligence and operations wing.

The allegations against the trio were found to be prima facie correct, but they could not be substantiated despite a year-long inquiry. Garg was reinstated in the NIA in 2020 and was made in charge of training.

Garg was earlier the chief investigation officer of the 2007 Samjhauta and Ajmer blast cases that resulted in the acquittals of Swami Assemanand and others. The train blast in February 2007 had led to the death of 68 people, mostly Pakistanis.