Ex-Amnesty India head Aakar Patel stopped from leaving India at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru, Apr 6: Ex-Amnesty International India head Aakar Anil Patel on Wednesday alleged that he was stopped at the Bengaluru airport and prevented from leaving the country despite a court order allowing him to travel to the US for this specific trip.

He took Twitter to share his ordeal. He tweeted, "Stopped from leaving India at Bangalore airport. Am on the exit control list. Got passport back through court order specifically for this trip to the US."

Patel also posted a copy of his application for the passort to the court and tagged it to the Prime Minister's Office. As per the Gujarat court's order, the judge granted him permission to travel to the US between March 1 and May 30.

"CBI officer called to say I am on the Look-Out Circular because of the case Modi government has filed against Amnesty International India," Patel tweeted.

In 2019, the CBI had filed a case against Amnesty International India and three of its associate organisations after a complaint was filed by the Home Ministry for alleged violation of the provision of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and the Indian Penal Code.

In June 2020, an FIR was registered against Patel under Sections 117 (abetting commission of an offence by the public or by more than ten persons), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), and 505-1-B (intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the JC Nagar police station over his controversial comments on social media under charges pertaining to provocation with intent to cause riots.

In September 2020, Patel was booked under Sections 153 A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), spreading fake message with intent to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community under 505 (1) B, 505 (1) C, Defamation under Sections 499, and 500 of the Indian Penal Code for three of his tweets against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Ghanchi caste.