Journalist-activist Aakar Patel stopped at airport from flying to US

The Amnesty International India chair Aakar Patel alleged on Wednesday that he was stopped from leaving India at the airport here as Immigration officials told him that the Central Bureau of Investigation has issued a lookout circular against him.

The CBI raided the premises of human rights watchdog's offices in Bengaluru and New Delhi in November 2019.

About 15 CBI officers had visited Amnesty office in Indiranagar, a posh locality near the central business district in Bengaluru taking away details pertaining to multiple compliances, organisation structure and others.

In 2018, the Enforcement Directorate raided the Amnesty International India office in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case.

The searches were in connection with the alleged violation of foreign direct investment norms linked to a previous case of revocation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act license of the NGO by the Home Ministry in 2010.

Back then, the Amnesty International India alleged that a pattern of harassment has emerged every time Amnesty India stands up and speaks out against human rights violations in India.

It said that it stands in full compliance with Indian and international law.

Patel said on Wednesday when he went to the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru in the morning to catch a flight from Bengaluru to Boston, Immigration officials stopped him saying that he was on the lookout circular by the CBI.

"I don't know why I am on the lookout circular. 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," Patel told PTI.

Patel alleged that there was a case filed against him by a BJP MLA in Surat for which his passport had been impounded.

He got the passport back from the court. He wanted to fly to the USA to deliver lectures in three universities-- Michigan University, Berkley University and New York University, Patel said.

"The talks are this month. The court released my passport. I got my Visa. I went to the airport. I was stopped at Immigration. I was told that I am on a lookout circular, that's the word that was used, from the CBI for the case that they had filed against the Amnesty in which I have neither been arrested nor I am on bail," the Amnesty International India chair said.

Wondering why he was on the lookout circular, he said he had no clue that he could not fly.

Patel said he will see what legal options were available because he has to speak to his lawyers.

"This issue suddenly came up. Last time they (CBI) had called me was 14 months ago and I went there," he added.

Aakar Patel is a Rediff.com columnist and writer and you can read his columns here.