Sambhal: Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against fugitive gangster Shariq Sata, who has been identified by Uttar Pradesh Police as the alleged mastermind behind the violence that broke out in Sambhal on November 24, 2024.
Sambhal SP Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, who has since been transferred as SP of Bijnor, said Sata had earlier been declared a fugitive offender by a court, with proceedings initiated for the attachment of his property. Following the completion of the required formalities, the Uttar Pradesh Police approached the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to seek an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him.
According to police, Sata fled to Dubai using a forged passport, while members of his family frequently travelled there. Police kept him under surveillance and prepared a detailed dossier, which was submitted to the CBI before coordination with Interpol led to the issuance of the notice.
Authorities will now seek his arrest and extradition from whichever country he is located in so that he can face legal proceedings in connection with the 2024 Sambhal violence, as well as around 55 to 60 other criminal cases registered against him, Bishnoi said.
Violence erupted in Sambhal on November 24, 2024, during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid following claims that a Harihar temple had previously stood at the site. Protesting locals clashed with security forces, leaving four people dead and several others injured.
During the investigation, police identified Sata as the prime conspirator in the case. Despite multiple raids, he remained untraced, following which a notice under Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was pasted at his residence. A lookout circular had also been issued against him.
A Red Corner Notice is an international request to law-enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. Police have also linked Sata to organised criminal activities, including vehicle thefts, allegedly carried out across Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region while he operated from abroad.
