New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately withdraw a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against former Amnesty International India head Aakar Patel. Earlier, the court reserved for later in the day the order on Patel's plea against the LOC in a case of an alleged violation of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar after hearing arguments from the lawyers appearing for Patel and the CBI, took note of the submissions of Patel's counsel Tanvir Ahmed Mir. According to Mir, the circular was issued without any procedure, and highlighted the fundamental rights of the writer.
During the arguments, the CBI opposed the application saying there was a likelihood of Patel fleeing from justice if he was allowed to leave the country. The CBI said that Patel was highly influential. We are not demanding for arrest. We are saying he should not cross the country, the agency said.
The court noted the CBI submission that the investigation was continuing since 2021, and said if Patel was a flight risk, he would have been arrested. He could have run away during the investigation also then, the court said. Patel's counsel opposed the CBI's contention, claiming that citizens rights are being railroaded by the agency. It is time that we send a suitable reply to law enforcement agencies and society, he told the court.
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Patel's application has further sought the court's permission to visit the US to take up his foreign assignment and lecture series organised by various universities till May 30. It submitted that Patel was stopped by immigration authorities at the Bangalore International Airport on Wednesday while he was boarding a flight to the US.
The application claimed that the action was taken despite an order by a Gujarat court permitting him to travel abroad. Patel had previously worked on topics related to 2002 Gujarat riots and presented a report "Rights and Wrongs" and has been writing columns for publications in India and Pakistan.
(with Agency inputs)
