The Special CBI court stayed the order issued by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Thursday, where CBI was instructed to withdraw the Look Out Circular against Patel immediately.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Friday directed Aakar Patel, the former Amnesty International India head, not to leave the country without its prior permission.
The court also granted interim relief to CBI who had sought revision of the order directing them to immediately withdraw the Look Out Circular issued by it against Aakar Patel, reports LiveLaw.
The Special CBI court stayed the order issued by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on Thursday, where CBI was instructed to withdraw the Look Out Circular against Patel immediately and had also asked the CBI to issue an apology to Aakar Patel for restricting him to travel abroad.
The order came on a revision plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier in the day.
Advocate Nikhil Goel appearing for the agency had submitted that no time was given to them to challenge the order.
Granting interim relief to the CBI in the matter, Special CBI Judge Santosh Snehi Mann directed Patel stayed the earlier court order.
Vehemently opposing the relief to Patel, the CBI also refused to file a compliance report in relation to Thursday’s order highlighting that they have already approached the court seeking a revision in the matter.
Taking note of the CBI counsel Nikhil Goel, the court said it is necessary to give the opportunity to file a formal reply and stayed the earlier court order in revision.
Further, the matter has been posted for a detailed hearing on April 12.
On Thursday, apart from recalling the CBI’s Lookout Circular, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar of the Rouse Avenue court had also sought a written apology from the CBI director.
“In this case, a written apology from the head of CBI, i.e., Director 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 order read.
Journalist and writer Patel was on his way to the US when he was stopped from leaving the country at the Bengaluru airport on Wednesday citing a lookout circular issued against him by the CBI in connection with an FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 case.
Patel claims that the impugned action was taken despite a Gujarat court’s order granting him permission “specifically for this trip”.
Patel had previously worked on topics related to 2002 Gujarat riots and presented a report “Rights and Wrongs” and has been writing columns for publications in India and Pakistan.
— With inputs from IANS
