Aakar Patel again stopped at Bengaluru airport despite Delhi court orders

Delhi Metropolitan Magistrate Court had allowed him to travel abroad and had even asked the CBI Director to apologize for preventing him from travelling abroad earlier on Wednesday night.

Bengaluru(Karnataka):Former Amnesty International India head Aakar Patel was again stopped at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) in Bengaluru from travelling to the US despite a Delhi court's direction to the CBI to immediately withdraw a lookout circular issued against him. Delhi Metropolitan Magistrate Court had allowed him to travel abroad and had even asked the CBI Director to apologize for preventing him from travelling abroad earlier on Wednesday night.

Talking to media, Patel stated that he was stopped again by the authorities at KIAL late Thursday night. "I don't know why they stopped me. I am going to know about it in a few hours," he said. While giving the order, the Delhi court had also noted that along with withdrawing the LOC, a written apology from the CBI would go a long way in healing his wounds.

Despite the clear cut instructions by the court, Patel was stopped at the immigration counter of KIAL and CBI has not taken off their LOC circular. Though sources said this could be the result of the court directions not reaching the KIAL authorities. Immediately, after being stopped Patel had tweeted about authorities preventing him from boarding the flight.

When asked about whether the action is politically motivated, he stated that he will go through the clarification first and refused to elaborate further. Patel was stopped in connection with LOC issued by the CBI with regards to a case that has been lodged against Amnesty International for alleged FCRA violations. His counsel had submitted to the court that he was not named as an accused in the FIR and he was never called by the CBI.

(IANS)