What is Lookout Notice and why is it issued?

Lookout Notice: Lookout Notices are also known as Lookout Circulars (LOC), which are opened to trace absconding criminals. Also, to effectively prevent and monitor the entry and exit of individuals who may be required by law enforcement authorities.

The basic guidelines (regarding the publication of the LOCs in relation to Indian citizens) are issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

If the immigration officers of a country have Lookout Circular against any absconding offender then the absconding person can be nabbed by the officer. As we randomly listen to the news that a particular offender is caught at a particular airport or port.

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The basic guidelines regarding the publication of the LOCs in relation to Indian citizens issued by the MHA have the following four principles:

1. The request to issue LOC must be issued with the approval of an officer, not below the rank of Deputy Secretary to the Government of India/Joint Secretary in the State Government/Superintendent of Police concerned at the district level.

2. Lookout Notice for all immigration check posts against any Indian person can be issued only in the format prepared by the Home Ministry.

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3. The notice issuing agency must give full identification details of the accused person in an already prescribed format. LOC will not be issued for less than three identity parameters other than the name of the accused.

4. Generally Lookout Notice is valid for one year from the date of issue. However, if the originating agency wants to increase the period of this notice, it may do so before the completion of one year.

Since 2011 a rule made that if no request is made for the extension of the LOC within the stipulated period of one year, the concerned Immigration officer is authorised to suspend the LOC.

Keep in mind that in the case Lookout Notices are issued by the Court and Interpol, Lookout Notices do not expire within one year.
Misuse of Lookout Notice

In many cases, Lookout Notice has also been misused. It has been observed that even the person against whom Lookout Notice is issued is not aware of Lookout Notice. The person might not expect that the Lookout Notice has been issued against him/her.

The accused person comes to know about such notice only when he/she is stopped or arrested by the immigration authorities at the airport/border etc. However, this kind of incident does not seem right in the era of an information technology revolution.

Sometimes the Lookout Notices are issued without complying with all rule rules. These cases are linked to suspected persons, anti-national elements, etc.

Any person affected by such cases can approach the Human Rights Commission or the High Courts to claim compensation for mental and physical harassment. However, this process may take many years and can be expensive too.

Impact of the Lookout Notice;

It is not clear that Lookout notices have created fear in the criminals. In many cases, it has been observed that many criminals and accused persons are living and travelling abroad even Lookout Notices have been issued against them in India. There is no authentic data available that how many Lookout Notices have been issued to date.

It is expected that after reading this article, you may have understood what is the Lookout Notice and why is it issued?

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