TUTORED BY ISI, GURPATWANT PANNUN FOOLS INTERPOL

The Interpol, while rejecting for the second time India's National Central Bureau request for issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, relied on Pannun's arguments that he was a political entity and hence Interpol, by virtue of Article 3 of its Constitution, cannot take any coercive action against him.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

KHALISTANI

Article 3 of the organization's Constitution "strictly forbids the organization to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character". The said protection can become infructuous only if the agency seeking the RCN is able to convince the Interpol, without leaving any doubts, that the individual against whom the RCN is being sought is indulging in subversive and terrorist activities.

The National Central Bureau, the nodal agency for coordinating with the Interpol on India's behalf, works under the supervision of officials in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The dossier against Pannun that the National Central Bureau placed in front of the Interpol to seek the RCN, was prepared by officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The NIA officials maintain that the details given to the Interpol were sufficient and strong for the body to issue the RCN against Pannun. Earlier in January 2019, the Interpol had rejected a similar request for a Red Corner Notice against Pannun that was filed by India in November 2018.