Sambhal, 26

Oct (HS): Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar Bishnoi stated on Sunday that

a Red Corner Notice would be issued shortly against Shariq Sata, the alleged

conspirator behind communal riots in Sambhal last year. Tension flared in

Sambhal on November 24 last year, when angry residents battled with security

personnel during a court-ordered assessment of Shahi Jama Masjid, after accusations

that a Harihar temple once stood on the site.

Four people were killed and many injured during the incident. During the

inquiry, Shariq Sata emerged as the primary conspirator in the case, according

to the SP, who added that Sata fled the country several years ago and has been

missing since. Despite several police raids, he could not be located, thus a notice

under Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was posted at his

residence. According to Bishnoi, a watch circular has already been issued

against Sata.

Following

coordination with several agencies, including the CBI and Interpol, attempts

are being made to issue a Red Corner Notice to secure Sata's arrest as soon as

possible, according to the SP.

A Red Corner

Notice is an international request from Interpol to law enforcement

organizations around the world to identify and temporarily arrest a person

wanted for prosecution or serving a sentence. Sata, according to authorities,

was involved in a number of organized criminal acts, including vehicle thefts,

throughout the NCR and Uttar Pradesh while operating from outside.

More than 60

criminal cases have been filed against Sata, who has been involved in the

underworld for nearly three decades, according to authorities.

Authorities

have already seized Sata's property worth more than Rs 2 crore under Section 15

of the Gangsters Act, and his other fraudulently acquired assets are being

investigated, according to the SP.

According to

Bishnoi, police are working with different authorities to arrest the offenders

as soon as feasible. The Sambhal issue began on November 19, last year, when

Hindu petitioners, including attorneys Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar

Jain, filed a lawsuit in district court alleging that Shahi Jama Masjid was

built on top of a temple. The court-ordered poll was done on the same day

(November 19), followed by another on November 24. The second survey sparked

severe rioting in the area, killing four people and injuring 29 police

officers.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi