Former Amnesty India chief Aakar Patel, who has been stopped from flying out of the country twice last week, is "involved in a number of cases", the CBI told a Delhi court on Tuesday as Patel's lawyer insisted that there was "nothing to suggest that my client is at flight risk". "Am I some Nirav Modi or Vijay Mallya?" the activist's lawyer asked on his behalf during the hearing while questioning the issuance of LOC (lookout circular) against him.
The central probe agency informed the court that "sanctions have been given to prosecute" Aakar Patel. Appearing for the agency, its counsel, Nikhil Goel, said that Patel has been involved in a number of cases.
He has not been named in the FIR because the organisation's name is there ( Amnesty India), the court was told. The counsel said that Patel "was the person responsible for controlling the organisation". He argued that the "funds or donations were used for commercial purposes". "Money came not only from Amnesty UK but other UK firms," the CBI counsel said.
The CBI counsel also said that the lecture for which he wanted to go was delivered virtually, so there was an option to address online. "Everything is sponsored. It is not our fault that he chooses business class or economy. The additional chief metropolitan magistrate cannot get into civil law and say that mental harassment happened,” the court was told.
The counsel also said that Patel is giving interviews in the media, because "he is a media man". He said that both the universities, where Patel was supposed to deliver lectures, had offered to give the round trip tickets along with lodging. “However, Patel did not choose to avail the offer”.
{{/usCountry}}The counsel also said that Patel is giving interviews in the media, because "he is a media man". He said that both the universities, where Patel was supposed to deliver lectures, had offered to give the round trip tickets along with lodging. “However, Patel did not choose to avail the offer”.
{{/usCountry}}Opposing the CBI submissions, Tanveer Ahmed Mir, Patel's lawyer, argued that other cases against his client "cannot operate as the engine of operation against him". He said that Patel had once gone to Bangladesh and returned. With respect to the sponsorship of the tickets, he added, on Patel's behalf, " I am an honourable person. I may have got the offer but I chose not to take it. That's completely my discretion."
He also said that "the sanction taken by the CBI is nothing but procedural because without the sanction, the cognisance on the charge sheet could not have been taken".
The activist had said on Friday that he was stopped from flying to the United States a day after the court asked the CBI to apologise over the LoC.
Hours later as the probe agency filed a challenge, the court on Friday said the activist could not travel outside the country till the CBI's contention was heard.