Court to pass order on Apr 16 on CBI plea against order to withdraw LOC against Aakar Patel

A Delhi court will decide on April 16 a CBI plea challenging an order directing the probe agency to withdraw the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against the chair of Amnesty International India Board Aakar Patel and apologies to him in connection with a case of an alleged violation of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA).

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann, who was scheduled to pass the order on CBI's revision petition on Wednesday, deferred it, saying she has received the written submissions from the CBI on Wednesday and needed time to go through it.

The court had reserved the order on Tuesday after hearing arguments from the CBI and the counsel appearing for the accused on the agency's plea seeking revision of the magisterial court's decision.

The judge had also extended the stay on the magisterial court's order till the final decision of the revision petition.

The judge had on April 8 directed Patel not to leave the country without the court's prior permission while it stayed the order of the magisterial court in the case relating to the alleged violation of the FCRA.

The court had said due opportunity needed to be given to the activist to file a formal reply if any.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar had on April 7 passed the order and directed the probe agency to withdraw the LOC immediately and apologies to the activist.

Patel, meanwhile, was stopped again that evening at an airport and was informed that the CBI had not withdrawn the LOC.

His application had further sought the court's permission to visit the US to take up his foreign assignment and lecture series organised by various universities till May 30.

It had submitted that Patel was stopped by immigration authorities at the Bangalore International Airport on April 6 while he was boarding a flight to the US.

The application claimed that the action was taken despite an order by a Gujarat court granting him permission to travel abroad. PTI UK