What happened: Kolkata’s New Town notified as NIA police station for West Bengal

Governor R.N. Ravi notified Kolkata’s New Town premises as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) police station for West Bengal. The notification designates the 15th floor of the National Buildings Construction Corporation Square in Action Area III, New Town, as the NIA police station location. The NIA regional branch has operated from this address since 2014.

After the establishment of the NIA police station for West Bengal in Kolkata, the NIA can register FIRs directly in Kolkata for NIA cases across West Bengal. An earlier operational position described was different: NIA investigations could begin only after NIA headquarters in New Delhi received a copy of the FIR.

Background and earlier position: FIR-copy routing through NIA headquarters

Before the NIA police station notification for West Bengal, the operational position described was that NIA investigations began only after NIA headquarters in New Delhi received the FIR copy. This meant the start of NIA investigations was linked to FIR circulation to New Delhi rather than starting from a local NIA police-station location in West Bengal.

What changed now: cabinet approval in West Bengal followed by the Governor’s notification