New Delhi, Mar 3: No major militant attack took place in the hinterland of the country during the last three years, except a grenade attack in Amritsar in November 2018, the Home Ministry informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
Jammu and Kashmir reported over 1,500 militant incidents during the period, it said.
The grenade attack in Amritsar took place at a prayer hall in Adliwal village on November 18, 2018, wherein three persons were killed, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said.
“As per available information, the involvement of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) has come to notice in this incident. The Punjab Police has arrested three persons involved in this attack,” he said.
The data presented by the minister in response to a question also showed that 1,550 militant incidents were reported in Jammu and Kashmir between 2017 and 2019 and 251 security personnel, 118 civilians and 627 militants were killed during the period.
On a question about undertrial militants, the minister said the data is maintained by the state governments since ‘Public Order’, ‘Police’ and ‘Prison’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
At the central government level, he said, the cases relating to terrorist acts are investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, provides for the constitution of special courts, registered by the NIA, where such cases are heard on a day-to-day basis and get precedence over other cases.
“Accordingly, 49 courts all over India have been designated as Special NIA Courts for speedy disposal of cases relating to all accused arrested by NIA in terror cases,” Reddy said.
