Aakar Patel stopped from leaving India at Bengaluru airport

Former Amnesty International India head Aakar Patel was on Wednesday barred from boarding a flight to the United States at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). In a tweet, Aakar said he was put on the exit control list, although he got his passport through a court order specifically for the US trip.

His inclusion in the list was related to a case filed against Amnesty India International by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Aakar has now filed a petition in Delhi to quash the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against him by the CBI.

The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) declined to elaborate but confirmed that the decision to stop him from flying was made by the Immigration officials.

Aakar was to board a British Airway flight at about 6.30 am on Wednesday. “I had checked in my bags and got my boarding pass. At the Immigration, I was told that I couldn't go because my name was in the LOC,” he told DH.

“It is malicious and the government knew that I was leaving. They had opposed giving my passport back to me. Why did they not tell me you are there on another list? I would have taken them to court on that. But they didn't do that. This is devious,” he said.

A BJP MLA had filed a case under seciton 153A against Aakar in Surat in late 2020. “As part of my bail condition, I had surrendered my passport and it was with the court all this time. Last time I had an engagement with the CBI in 2020 when they sent summons and I went and met them. I have not heard from the CBI in the last 13 months.”

Aakar had moved the court to get his passport back after being invited for lectures in the Michigan, Berkeley and New York universities. Despite the government's objection that he was a flight risk, the passport was returned to him. He was allowed to go but asked to be back by the end of May.

Agencies citing sources said the CBI had filed a case against Amnesty International India and three of its associate organisations in November, 2019, based on a complaint by the Home Ministry for alleged violation of the provision of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and the Indian Penal Code.

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