NEW DELHI: Interpol has issued a Red Notice against Rishabh Baisoya, a fugitive wanted in connection with the Rs 13,000-crore cocaine seizure by Delhi Police's special cell. The development has triggered a global manhunt, with law enforcement agencies utilising both formal and informal channels to track down the suspect.
The special cell has also requested that a ‘trial in absentia' be conducted against the suspect, according to sources. Rishabh, who is believed to be in the Middle East, was earlier declared an absconder or a proclaimed offender by the court.
A Red Notice is a request by Interpol to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and detain a person pending extradition. It is issued for serious crimes, including murder, theft and corruption. A Red Notice can restrict travel, freeze assets and facilitate extradition. It is not an international arrest warrant but a request for cooperation between law enforcement agencies.
The ‘trial in absentia' provision in the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) allows for a criminal trial to proceed and judgment to be passed even if the accused is not present in court. This is permissible if the accused has been declared a proclaimed offender and has absconded to evade trial, with conditions like a 90-day waiting period after the charge is framed before the trial can begin in their absence, said an officer.
Rishabh is the son of Virender Singh Baisoya aka Veeru, the alleged kingpin of an international drug cartel. He was allegedly facilitating transportation and concealment of contraband, thereby directly contributing to cartel activities, cops said.
Rishabh's role emerged when police found that on Oct 1, 2024, he provided a Toyota Fortuner SUV to co-accused Jatinder Singh Gill alias Jassi for allegedly ferrying drugs. "The search of this SUV, intercepted in Nepal village in Ajnala, Punjab, led the police to seize around 1kg of cocaine/mephedrone on Oct 5. Rishabh and Jatinder were captured on CCTV footage at Hudco Place and at a hotel in Panchsheel Enclave area of Delhi, confirming his active association with the co-accused," stated a document submitted to the court.
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The special cell's investigation revealed that several pharmaceutical and shell companies were used to distribute cocaine -- originally brought in from South America – on a large scale across the country. The cartel members allegedly shared Google coordinates for collection of consignments, which were then stockpiled for sale at music concerts and rave parties in Delhi, Punjab, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Goa. The drugs would be hidden as chemicals, packed in cardboard boxes containing shirts and namkeen mixtures, said police.
The probe also revealed that the cartel was being run from Pakistan and Dubai, with members spread across Thailand, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. The special cell has written letters rogatory to these countries seeking assistance in the investigation.
Raj Shekhar Jha is a journalist for the Times of India with over ...
Read MoreRaj Shekhar Jha is a journalist for the Times of India with over a decade of experience in reporting on national security, terrorism, crime and prisons.
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