The Central Investigation Agency (CBE) has got a setback from a Delhi court. The court has ordered the withdrawal of the Lookout Circular (LoC) issued by the CBI against human rights activist and former Amnesty International India Board chief Aakar Patel. Along with this, the court has also allowed Aakar Patel to travel to America. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar, while giving relief to Patel, has asked the CBI to file a report in the matter by April 30.
The CBI had issued a Lookout Circular (LoC) against Patel in a case of alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. However, the CBI said that they are not talking about arresting the accused, but they are demanding not to allow him to go out of the country.
At present, the court has ordered to withdraw the lookout notice issued by the CBI. The court has also ordered the CBI director to apologize in writing to Patel. The court said this would help in maintaining public confidence in the premier institution.
The court said that apart from financial loss, the petitioner has also suffered mental torture. Because he could not complete his journey on time. Patel’s counsel Tanveer Ahmed Mir submitted that the petitioner has suffered a loss of Rs 3.8 lakh on flight tickets due to debarment from travel by the investigating officer.
Significantly, on Wednesday, Patel was about to fly to the US from Bengaluru International Airport but was stopped at the airport by immigration officials. Patel was told that a lookout notice has been issued against him in connection with a case against Amnesty India in 2019.
Let us inform that Aakar Patel is the co-author of a report titled ‘Rights and Wrongs’ on the Gujarat riots. He has also written his book “Price of the Modi Years”. Apart from this, he had said on the decision of demonetisation of 2016 and the lockdown imposed across the country during the corona epidemic that both these decisions of the government were taken without consulting the cabinet colleagues.