Why did Interpol issue a blue corner notice against Prajwal?
How is a blue corner Interpol notice di…erent from a red corner notice? What does it mean for the SIT probe in the Prajwal Revanna sexual assault case? How does Interpol alert member countries about fugitives?
The story so far:
Amid a political storm in Karnataka over grave allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal Revanna, sitting Hassan MP and grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, the International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly known as Interpol, has issued a blue corner notice against the absconding politician. The MP has been on the run since late last month following the leak of thousands of explicit video clips that allegedly show the 33-year-old sexually abusing multiple women, prompting the JD(S) to suspend him.
How does the Interpol alert countries?
The Interpol is an inter-governmental law enforcement organisation which assists and facilitates cooperation between national law forces in 196 member countries to combat transnational crimes. The organisation shares information regarding crimes and wanted criminals globally, and provides technical, operational, and investigative support to locate fugitives.
It manages a database of critical data about wanted criminals, which member countries can use to trace such individuals.
The agency has a National Central Bureau in all member countries which is a single point of contact between law enforcement agencies of that country and Interpol.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is ocially designated as the nodal agency for India.
The agency uses a ‘colour-coded’ system to alert and share requests for crime-related information among member countries and global organisations. Notably, member countries are not bound by international law to abide by Interpol notices as they are entirely discretionary.
Why did Interpol issue a blue corner notice against Prajwal Revanna?
The international organisation issues a blue corner notice when the case is related to missing persons. Also called an “enquiry notice,” such an alert is sent for additional information from member states about a person, to verify their identity, location, or criminal record concerning a criminal investigation.
It is di¦erent from a red corner notice, considering that the purpose of a blue notice is information about a person of interest in an investigation, while the former is generally issued against a person wanted for extradition, or serve a sentence based on a court decision, or a similar lawful action.
Interpol issued a blue corner notice against Mr. Revanna after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government sought the help of the CBI for further inquiry.
The SIT rst issued a look out circular against the Hassan MP after he failed to appear before the panel.
The request came days after the Hassan MP remained untraceable. As per reports, the MP left for Munich,
Germany using his diplomatic passport a day after his constituency went to the polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, and hours before the SIT was constituted.
Mr. Revanna’s advocate sought seven days for his client to present himself before the panel.
The investigating team, however, ruled out the possibility and moved for a blue corner alert against Mr. Revanna, considering that the investigation is in the early stages and the police are yet to le criminal charges.
The SIT ocials told Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that they intend to arrest the accused to expedite the investigation as soon as they receive information about his whereabouts.