NIA team will be hand picked: Chidambaram

The NIA, set up in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, will have members "hand picked" by its first chief RV Raju, who was appointed today.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), set up in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, will have members "hand picked" by its first chief RV Raju, who was appointed on Thursday.

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"He (Raju) has been requested to join immediately and quickly begin the recruitments," Home Minister P Chidambaram, who recommended Raju's name for the post, told reporters in New Delhi.

Chidambaram said Raju will hand pick his core group of investigation officers.

Asked how long it would take for the NIA to be functional, he said, "We will now recruit identified officers who have got a track record in doing very good work in investigation."

Chidambaram said Raju has been tasked with recruiting people and putting the infrastructure and logistics in place so that NIA can take up cases for investigation, should a situation arise.

He, however, said there was no case at present to be investigated by the NIA.

To a question, he said the Mumbai incident would not be probed by the NIA as investigation into it was already on.

"The Mumbai investigation is well on track. It has made considerable progress. There is no need for transferring it to NIA," he said.

Chidambaram said Raju had a vast experience in CBI.

A 1975-batch IPS officer, Raju will head the NIA till January 31, 2010, a Home Ministry order said. Raju is at present Special Director General of Police in Jammu and Kashmir.