Ex-Amnesty India head Aakar Patel files contempt plea against CBI

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Former Amnesty India head Aakar Patel has filed a contempt petition against the CBI on Friday for not obeying a court order setting aside the lookout circular against him. Patel moved the plea after he was again stopped at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) in Bengaluru on Thursday night from travelling to the US.  

“That it is far from believable that an agency like CBI which is supposed to be available twenty four seven, being a law enforcement agency conveniently chose to sleep on the order of the Hon'ble Court despite the word "immediately" used by the Hon'ble Court and being aware of the fact that the applicant was travelling at night on 07.04.2022," he said in his petition. 

A Delhi court had on Thursday directed the CBI to immediately withdraw a lookout circular issued against him. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar had passed the order and directed the probe agency to apologies to him and file a compliance report by April 30.

According to Patel, he was stopped again by the authorities at Bengaluru late Thursday night. "I don't know why they stopped me. I am going to know about it in a few hours," he said.

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.

Meanwhile, the CBI has also approached a Delhi court seeking revision of its order directing the agency to withdraw a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against Patel. The agency filed the plea before the Rouse Avenue court's registry, a counsel for the accused said.

READ MORE: Delhi court orders CBI to withdraw lookout circular against former Amnesty India chief Aakar Patel