Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Court bars Patel from leaving India sans nod

- Richa Banka Richa.banka@htlive.com

A Delhi court on Friday directed former Amnesty India chairman Aakar Patel to not leave the country without the permission of the court, till the time the Central Bureau of Investigat­ion’s revision applicatio­n against the quashing of Look Out Circular (LOC) against Patel in a money laundering case, is decided.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann also stayed Thursday’s trial court order directing the CBI’s Director to give a written apology to Patel acknowledg­ing a lapse on the part of his subordinat­e. “It is deemed just and proper to stay operation of the impugned order dated April 7 vis-a-vis direction to the Director CBI to give written apology. Respondent Aakar Patel is directed not to leave the country without permission of this court, till the next date of hearing,” the court said in its order.

The LOC was issued against Patel in a case of alleged violation of the Foreign Contributi­ons Regulation Act (FCRA). He was stopped by immigratio­n authoritie­s at the Bangalore Internatio­nal Airport on Wednesday while he was boarding a flight to the US.

On Thursday, a trial court directed CBI to forthwith withdraw the LOC, saying that it should not be issued on the whims and fancies of the investigat­ing agency as it has a bearing on the fundamenta­l rights.

But on Thursday night, Patel was again stopped at immigratio­n. On Friday, he moved a contempt petition before the judge at Rouse Avenue court complex, alleging that he was yet again stopped from flying to the US.

Challengin­g this order, CBI contended that the additional chief metropolit­an magistrate erred in his reasoning to set aside the LOC. The judge then said: “Ensure that your client does not do any misadventu­re. He is not going to leave.”

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Aakar Patel

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