CBI told to drop airport alert against Aakar Patel, apologise

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately withdraw the look-out circular issued against former Amnesty International India Chief Aakar Patel in a Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) case. Patel had moved the court after he was stopped from boarding a flight to the United States on Wednesday.

He sought permission from the court to travel to the US till May 30, 2022. The court also suggested that the CBI Director apologise to Patel, acknowledging a lapse on part of his subordinate.

"In this case, a written apology from the head of CBI acknowledging lapse on part of his subordinate to the applicant would go a long way in not only healing wounds of the applicant but also upholding trust and confidence of the public in the premier institution," the court said.

In a strongly worded order, the court said that the LOC should not have been issued "merely on the basis of apprehensions arising out of whims and fancies of the investigating agency" and that the consequences on the rights of the affected person should have been foreseen before the circular was issued.

"This act of the investigating agency has caused monetary loss of around Rs.3.8 lakh to the applicant/accused as he has missed his flight and he was not allowed to board because of the LOC issued against him," the court further said. The writer-activist took to Twitter to share the news, where he also called the accusations of money laundering against Amnesty "absurd".