Interpol Secy Gen meets Union Home Secy; pending Red Corner Notices discussed

Visiting Interpol Secretary General Jrgen Stock on Friday met Union Home Secretary A K Bhalla, who is believed to have impressed upon him to take action on pending requests for Red Corner Notices, including against terror accused Zakir Naik, officials said.

Bhalla held a 30-minute meeting with Stock and is said to have conveyed to him the necessity to act on the pending RCN requests against fugitives avoiding Indian laws, according to a government official.

A red corner notice is a kind of international arrest warrant for fugitives where Interpol requests its member-countries to arrest or detain them.

During 2016, 2017 and 2018, red notice requests sent to Interpol by the Central Bureau of Investigation were 91, 94 and 123, respectively, and notices published by Interpol were 87, 84 and 76, respectively.

Till July 15 this year, as many as 41 requests have been sent to Interpol and 32 have been published.

"Among those against whom the Interpol is yet to issue the RCN include Zakir Naik," another official said.

Naik, accused of inciting and radicalising youths to carry out terror attacks, is in Malaysia.

Following issuance of RCNs by Interpol, 36 fugitives were either arrested or located in 2016, 35 fugitives in 2017, 24 fugitives in 2018 and 16 fugitives in 2019.

"As per the available data, during the years 2016, 2017, 2018 and till April 1, 2019, a total 27 accused were extradited or deported from abroad to India, based on RCN or extradition requests made by Indian law enforcement agencies," the official said.

The Interpol Secretary General is on an official tour to India.