CBI moves Delhi HC against trial court order in Aakar Patel's case

New Delhi, April 27

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the April 16 trial court order which upheld the earlier court order setting aside the Lookout Circular (LOC) issued against the former Chairman of Amnesty International, India, Aakar Patel. As Justice Talwant Singh recused from the case on Wednesday, the matter was posted for May 13.

The central probe agency moved to the high court citing the order limited the extent of legal observations. The Special CBI Judge of the Rouse Avenue Court on April 16 had upheld an earlier order directing the CBI to withdraw its Lookout Circular issued against Aakar Patel.

At the same time, the court set aside the direction issued to the CBI director to apologise to Patel for the agency's action against him. "The direction of the trial court to the Director, CBI, to give written apology to the respondent accused, acknowledging the lapse on the part of his subordinate, to compensate for mental harassment, cannot sustain and is liable to be set aside," the court noted in its order.

Prior to that on April 7, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pawan Kumar of the Rouse Avenue court had directed the CBI to immediately withdraw the Lookout Circular issued against Patel. The court 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 citing a Lookout Circular issued against him by the CBI in connection with a Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, case.