Court tells CBI: Drop lookout notice against Aakar Patel, but no need to apologise

A Delhi court upheld an order instructing the CBI to retract a lookout notice issued against former Amnesty India chairman Aakar Patel. In connection with a suspected breach of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, the agency had issued an alert prohibiting Patel from leaving the country.

Aside from the withdrawal of the circular, the petition also requested an apology from the agency for its conduct. The motion, however, was denied by the Delhi High Court. Patel had asked the court for permission to go to the United States for a foreign assignment and a lecture series organised by several colleges till May 30.

According to the plea, Patel was detained by immigration officials at Bangalore International Airport on April 6 while attempting to board a trip to the United States. According to the suit, the move was performed despite a Gujarat court decision providing him permission to travel overseas. In November 2019, a complaint was filed against Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL), Indians For Amnesty International Trust (IAIT), Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT), Amnesty International South Asia Foundation (AISAF), and others.

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"Amnesty International India complies fully with Indian and international law. Our job in India, like in other countries, is to defend and fight for universal human rights. These are the same principles established in the Indian Constitution, and they stem from a long and rich Indian culture of plurality, tolerance, and dissent," Amnesty International had earlier stated in a statement.