Interpol has issued a Red Notice against fugitive gangster Shariq Sata, who is accused by Uttar Pradesh Police of masterminding the violence that erupted in Sambhal on November 24, 2024, during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. Four people were killed and dozens injured in the unrest.
Krishna Kumar Bishnoi, former Sambhal Superintendent of Police and now SP of Bijnor, said Sata had earlier been declared a fugitive offender by a court and proceedings for attachment of his property had been initiated. After completing the required formalities, Uttar Pradesh Police approached the Central Bureau of Investigation, which coordinated with Interpol for issuance of the notice.
Police eye extradition
According to police, Sata left India using a forged passport and fled to Dubai. Investigators maintained surveillance on his movements and prepared a detailed dossier that was subsequently submitted to the CBI. Police said members of his family had also frequently travelled to Dubai.
With the Interpol notice now issued, authorities will seek to locate Sata and secure his provisional arrest wherever he is found, before pursuing the necessary process to bring him to India. Bishnoi said the objective was to ensure that he faces legal proceedings not only in connection with the Sambhal violence but also for around 55 to 60 other criminal cases registered against him.
A lookout circular had already been issued against Sata. Police had also conducted several raids in an attempt to trace him but were unsuccessful, following which proceedings declaring him an absconder and for attachment of property were initiated.
A Red Notice is an international request circulated by Interpol asking law-enforcement agencies around the world to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. It is not, by itself, an international arrest warrant.
Accused of plotting violence
Sambhal witnessed serious unrest on November 24, 2024, when local protesters clashed with security personnel during a court-directed survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid. The survey followed claims that a Harihar temple had previously existed at the site. Four people were killed and several others, including police personnel, were injured in the violence.
During the subsequent investigation, police identified Sata as an alleged key conspirator behind the unrest. Authorities maintain that he had been operating from abroad and was involved in organised criminal activities across Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region.
Police have linked him to several offences, including organised vehicle theft. Despite remaining outside India, investigators allege that he continued to maintain links with criminal networks operating in the country.
The Red Notice gives investigators a wider international mechanism to locate the fugitive. If Sata is detained abroad, Indian authorities will have to pursue extradition or other applicable legal procedures to secure his return and prosecution in the cases pending against him.