New Delhi: “National security considerations” were cited as the key reason by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for off-loading an activist of Greenpeace from a London-bound flight even as the agency alleged that her ticket had been purchased in violation of FCRA rules. The report, prepared by the Intelligence Bureau and submitted to the Home Ministry, said that the look out circular against Priya Pillai was issued by it on January 9, two days prior to her scheduled departure, on “national security considerations”, which led to immigration authorities off-loading her from the flight, official sources said.
As per guidelines issued by the Home Ministry in 2010, an officer in the rank of Assistant Director in the IB is authorised to issue look out circular for any individual on the basis of inputs received against the person. The guidelines on look out circular was issued by the Home Ministry following a directive of the Delhi High Court after a man, Vikram Sharma, was off-loaded from a flight in April 2008 following a look out circular issued by the National Commission of Women (NCW) over a matrimonial dispute. The High Court had said that a statutory body like NCW did not have the jurisdiction to take such step and asked the Home Ministry to frame the guidelines.
In November 2014, a six-member delegation of the Anjuman-e-Haideri, the body that governs the Jorbagh Karbala, was detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and off-loaded from a flight. The group, headed by a Shia cleric, was to fly to Iraq to allegedly “help fight the terror of ISIS” by facilitating the movement of volunteers from India who would help with relief and rehabilitation as well as the security of shrines under threat.
The IB report also suggested that Pillai's ticket was allegedly bought by the Greenpeace UK, contravening the rules of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, the sources said.
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