Aakar Patel Again Prevented From Flying To US

The Amnesty International India (AII) chair Aakar Patel was again stopped by Immigration officials at the Bengaluru airport from flying to the US, over the CBI look-out circular.

“Yesterday I wanted to fly to Dallas-Texas but I was not allowed to go. I am not able to move out of Bengaluru. I am waiting for the court order,” Patel told PTI.

The AII chair had moved the special CBI court in the Rouse Avenue District Court in New Delhi against the CBI for non-compliance of the court order.

The court, on Thursday, directed the CBI to withdraw a Look-Out Circular (LOC) issued against Patel in a case of alleged violation of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act and apologise to him.

The court said a “written apology” from the CBI Director on behalf of the agency, acknowledging the lapse on the part of his subordinate to Patel, would help uphold the trust and confidence of the public in the premier institution.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar passed the order and directed the probe agency to file a compliance report by April 30. The court noted that apart from the monetary loss, the applicant had suffered mental harassment as he was not allowed to visit at the scheduled time.

“Have been stopped at immigration again. CBI has not taken me off their look out circular. Immigration at Bangalore airport says nobody at CBI answering their calls. Will move court again tomorrow if I have to,” Patel tweeted.

Earlier, on Wednesday as well, Patel was prevented from flying to Boston from Bengaluru by immigration officials, saying that the CBI has issued a look-out notice against him.

Patel had said he wants to go to the United States to deliver lectures in three universities this month.