CBI Gets Centre's Approval To Prosecute Amnesty India Former Chief Aakar Patel

The investigating agency had sought government's nod to prosecute the international human rights organisation because of the mandatory clause of Section 40 of the FCRA.   

Amnesty International India former Chief Aakar Patel. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: In yet another setback for Aakar Patel, the former Amnesty International India head, the Centre on Tuesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute the writer-activist in connection with the alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

Centre's nod to persecute Patel will pave way for a special court to take cognisance of its charge sheet filed on December 31, 2021, news agency PTI reported.

The investigating agency had sought government's nod to prosecute the international human rights organisation because of the mandatory clause of Section 40 of the FCRA.   

Section 40 restricts the court to take cognisance of offence under the FCRA without the previous sanction of the Central Government or any officer authorised by that Government on this behalf.

The charge sheet was filed on December 31, 2021 by the agency in the Special CBI Court at Rouse Avenue against Patel and Amnesty International India under Section 11 read with Sections 35 and 39 of the Act after a two-year probe into alleged violations, officials said.

They also informed that the court will take cognisance of charges on April 18.

Earlier this month, CBI issued a Look Out Circular against Amnesty International India chief Patel on the basis of which he was stopped from leaving Bengaluru Airport for the US.

A magistrate court had allowed withdrawal of the LOC but the order was overturned last Friday by a Special Judge who had asked Patel to not leave the country without its permission.

CBI has also conducted searches place post an FIR was lodged aginst Amnesty International India. The company has alleged that over the past year, a pattern of 'harassment' has emerged every time Amnesty International India stands up and speaks out against "human rights violations" in India.

"Amnesty International India stands in full compliance with Indian and international law. Our work in India, as elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and flow from a long and rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance, and dissent," the Amnesty said in the statement.

It is alleged that a payment of Rs 10 crore, classified as Foreign Direct Investment, was remitted to Amnesty India from London office without taking the home ministry's approval. CBI has also claimed that another Rs 26 crore was remitted to Amnesty India, "primarily from the UK based entities".

(With inputs from PTI.)