Former Amnesty India head Aakar Patel on Wednesday took to social media to claim that he had been stopped from leaving India since the Indian authorities had placed him on ‘the exit control list.’ The development took place days after Rana Ayyub was stopped from leaving India by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
Patel said that he had got hold of his passport through a court order for this US trip. He wrote, “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.”
According to Patel, immigration officials told him that the ‘CBI has put me on the list.’
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
— Aakar Patel (@Aakar__Patel) April 6, 2022
“CBI officer called to say I am on the Look-Out Circular because of the case Modi govt has filed against Amnesty International India,” Patel wrote.
Ayyub, who is facing charges of money laundering by the ED, was stopped from leaving India at the Mumbai airport last week. She was later allowed by the Delhi High Court.
Amnesty International had decided to halt its India operations alleging ‘incessant witch-hunt’ by the Indian government in 2020. The noted human rights body had said that the Indian government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi froze its bank accounts, making it impossible for Amnesty International to retain its staff in India.