Blue Corner Notice Against Sitting MP

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What is Interpol?
• India and Interpol

Why in News?

Amid a political storm in Karnataka over grave allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal Revanna, sitting Hassan MP, Interpol has issued a Blue Corner notice against the absconding politician.

What is Interpol?

• About 
  • Full Name - International Criminal Police Organisation.
    • Interpol is the radio-telegraph code for the organisation.
  • Interpol is an international police organisation made up of 194 member countries. 
  • It does not work under UN. 
    • It has enjoyed a special role – that of Permanent Observer at the United Nations - since 1996.
  • It was founded in 1923 and is headquartered at Lyon, France.
• Functions

• It is not a police force in the traditional sense—its agents are not able to arrest criminals.
• It is more of an information-sharing network.
  • It provides a way for national police forces to co-operate effectively and tackle international crime ranging from human trafficking and terrorism to money laundering and illegal art dealing.
• Sharing of information is done by issuing colour-coded notices in four languages - English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
• The organization operates centralised criminal databases that contain fingerprint records, DNA samples and stolen documents.
• Functioning
  • The agency has a National Central Bureau (NCB) in all member countries, which is a single point of contact between law enforcement agencies of that country and Interpol. 
  • NCB serves as the national platform for cooperation between domestic law enforcement units and the international police community.
• Types of Interpol Notices

• Interpol issues different types of notices which have different objectives. Types of notices issued – Red, Blue, Yellow, Black, Orange, Purple, Green etc.
• Red Notice - A notification that a member state would like someone arrested. 
• A ‘Blue Corner’ notice is issued when the case is related to missing persons. 
  • Also called an enquiry notice, such an alert is sent for additional information from member States about a person, to verify their identity, location, or criminal record concerning a criminal investigation.
• The ‘INTERPPOL-United Nations Security Council Special Notice’ is issued for entities and individuals who are the targets of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committees.
• States are not obliged to follow these notices, but will often treat them as a warrant for someone’s arrest and extradition.
• Differences between Blue Corner notice and Red Corner Notice
• The purpose of a ‘blue’ notice is to gather information about a person of interest in an investigation.
• On the other hand, the red notice is generally issued against a person wanted for extradition, or serve a sentence based on a court decision, or a similar lawful action.
• In the present case, the investigating team moved for a Blue Corner alert against Mr. Revanna, considering that the investigation is in the early stages and the police are yet to file criminal charges.

India and Interpol

• India has been a member since 1956. 
• Like any member nation, India maintains a National Central Bureau (NCB). The NCB is the designated contact point for the Interpol.
  • In India’s case, The CBI is the designated nodal body for the Interpol in India. 
• India has collaborated with the Interpol in tackling a myriad of organised crimes such as poaching, wildlife trafficking, spurious drugs and fake medicine rackets, etc.
• India hosted the Interpol General Assembly in 2022 as part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence.
  • Also, in November 2021, CBI Special Director Praveen Sinha was elected as a delegate for Asia on the executive committee of the Interpol.

Q.1. What is the National Central Bureau (NCB)?

The National Central Bureau (NCB) is a country's focal point for all International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) activities. Each member country of INTERPOL has an NCB that connects their national law enforcement with other countries and the General Secretariat through a secure global police communications network.

Q.2. What is radio telegraphy?

Radio telegraphy is a method of communication that uses radio waves to send coded signals, usually Morse code, in the form of pulses of different lengths called "dots" and "dashes". The radio carrier is modulated by changing its amplitude, frequency, or phase to match the code.

Source: Why did the CBI request an Interpol ‘Blue Corner’ notice against Prajwal Revanna? | Explained | Interpol | CBI | The Hindu