Former Amnesty International India Chief Aakar Patel today alleged that he was stopped from boarding a flight to the United States at Bengaluru airport.
Mr Patel tweeted that he was put on the exit control list in connection with a case filed against Amnesty India International by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
"CBI officer called to say I am on the look-out circular because of the case Modi government has filed against Amnesty International India," Mr Patel said in a tweet shortly after he was stopped from leaving India.
Mr Patel said that he was prevented from travelling to the US despite a Gujarat court order granting him permission "specifically" for the trip.
The CBI sources, however, said that Mr Patel was granted permission to travel to the US by a Surat court in a case registered by the Gujarat police, but the Look Out Notice was opened against him and subsequently, he was stopped from leaving India today in connection with another case registered by the agency against Amnesty International India and others for alleged Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) violations pertaining to Rs 36 crore foreign fundings.
Mr Patel approached a CBI court in Delhi later today seeking directions to the agency for the removal of the Look Out Circular issued against him.
The court has asked the CBI to respond to Mr Patel's plea in which he also sought permission to travel to the US to deliver lectures at three universities-- Michigan University, Berkley University and New York University.
The matter will be taken up by the court tomorrow morning at 10 am.
"I did not know about it that I could not fly. I missed my flight and now I am back home. They (Immigration officials) did not let me go," news agency PTI quoted Mr Patel as saying.
The CBI had filed a case against Amnesty International India and three of its associate organisations in November, 2019, following a complaint lodged by the Home Ministry for alleged violation of the provision of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and the Indian Penal Code.
The case was registered 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.
According to the complaint filed by the Home Ministry, a payment of Rs 10 crore, classified as Foreign Direct Investment, was remitted to Amnesty India from its London office. Another Rs 26 crore has been remitted to Amnesty India, "primarily from UK-based entities".
Amnesty's Bangalore offices had been raided by the Enforcement Directorate in 2018 in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case.
The group had also faced sedition charges, later dropped, over a 2016 event to discuss alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.
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