Context:
Recently, Interpol issued a “Blue Corner Notice” against an absconding Member of Parliament (Hassan constituency, Karnataka) amid serious allegations of sexual abuse against him.
Why the Blue Corner notice for the sitting Member of Parliament by Interpol?
- The issuance of a ‘Blue Corner’ notice is reserved for cases involving missing persons.
- This notice, also referred to as an “enquiry notice,” is dispatched to member States to seek additional information regarding an individual’s identity, location or activities about crime.
- It is issued in the case of alleged sexual assault involving a Sitting MP from Karnataka.
Interpol issued a Blue Corner notice after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Karnataka government requested assistance from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further inquiry.
- Because it was reported that the sitting MP left for Munich, Germany, using his diplomatic passport.
Similar Cases of Issuing Blue Corner Notices for Indians:
- In 2020, Interpol issued a Blue Corner Notice concerning self-proclaimed spiritual leader Nithyananda, seeking details about his
The SIT intends to expedite the investigation by arresting the Sitting MP as soon as they receive information about his location.
About the Interpol
- Founded on 7 September 1923 in Vienna Austria. Its headquarters is in Lyon, France, and a liaison office is in New York, United States.
- It was formally known as the International Criminal Police Commission.
The formal name is The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL.
- It was created by the adoption of its Constitution in June 1956 at the 25th General Assembly in Vienna.
It is an intergovernmental organization facilitating cooperation among law enforcement agencies from 196 member nations to combat transnational crimes.
- The organization shares global crime information and assists in locating fugitives through technical and investigative support.
- It maintains a database of wanted criminals, which is updated in real-time and is accessible to member countries for tracking purposes.
- Each member country hosts a National Central Bureau, serving as the primary liaison between local law enforcement and Interpol.
- In India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) acts as the designated nodal agency.
How does Interpol send alerts to countries?
Interpol uses a color-coded system to communicate crime-related alerts among member countries and international organizations.
- International organizations are: – United Nations, International Criminal Tribunals, and International Criminal Court (regarding sanctions, genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity).
However, adherence to Interpol notices by member countries is discretionary, not obligatory under international law.
Type of Notices
- Red Notice: Issued to locate and arrest individuals wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.
- Yellow Notice: Issued to assist in the search for missing persons, often minors, or to help identify individuals who are unable to identify themselves.
- Blue Notice: Issued to gather further information about a person’s identity, whereabouts, or activities in connection with a criminal investigation.
- Black Notice: Issued to obtain information regarding unidentified bodies.
- Green Notice: Issued to alert about individuals engaged in criminal activities, who are considered potential threats to public safety.
- Orange Notice: Issued to provide a warning about an event, person, object, or process posing a serious and immediate threat to public safety.
- Purple Notice: Issued to seek or provide information on criminals’ methods, objects, devices, and methods of concealment.
