Interpol Red Corner Notice issued against 2024 Sambhal violence ‘mastermind’ Shariq Sata

Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against fugitive gangster Shariq Sata, the alleged mastermind behind the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal in November 2024, a police officer said.

Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, who is now the SP of Bijnor after a recent rejig, told reporters on Friday that Sata, the mastermind behind the November 24, 2024, violence, was previously declared a fugitive offender by a court, with proceedings initiated for the attachment of his property.

Following the completion of the necessary formalities, the Uttar Pradesh Police had requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to get Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice against him.

Sata had fled to Dubai using a forged passport and his family members have frequently travelled there. Police maintained a close surveillance on him and submitted a detailed dossier to the CBI, and subsequently coordinated with Interpol to get the Red Corner Notice issued.

Efforts will now be made to get him arrested and extradited from whichever country he is in, ensuring that he faces legal action for the 2024 incident as well as for the 55 to 60 other criminal cases previously registered against him, Bishnoi said.

Tension erupted in Sambhal on November 24, 2024, when protesting locals clashed with security forces during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following claims that a Harihar temple previously stood at the site. Four people were killed and dozens injured in the unrest.

During the investigation, Sata emerged as the prime conspirator in the case, the SP said, adding that he fled the country long ago.

Despite multiple police raids, Sata could not be traced, following which a notice under section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was pasted at his residence.

A lookout circular was already issued against Sata, Bishnoi said.

A Red Corner Notice is an international request from Interpol to law-enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest an individual who is wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.

According to police, Sata was involved in several organised criminal activities, including vehicle thefts, across the National Capital Region (NCR) and Uttar Pradesh, while operating from abroad.