New Delhi: In another setback for former Amnesty International India chief Aakar Patel, the Center on Tuesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute the writer-activist in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The Centre’s nod will pave the way for a special court to take cognizance of the chargesheet filed on December 31, 2021, to persecute Patel, news agency PTI reported.
The probe agency had sought the government’s permission to prosecute the international human rights organization because of the mandatory clause of section 40 of the FCRA.
Section 40 prohibits the court to take cognizance of an offense under FCRA without the previous sanction of the Central Government or any officer authorized by that Government in this behalf.
After a two-year probe into the alleged violations, the authorities filed a chargesheet against Patel and Amnesty International India under sections 35 and 39 of the Act against Patel and Amnesty International India on December 31, 2021, by the agency in the special CBI court on December 31, 2021. Was. said.
He also informed that the court will take cognizance of the allegations on April 18.
Earlier this month, the CBI had issued a look out circular against Patel, the chief of Amnesty International India, on the basis of which he was barred from flying to the US from the Bengaluru airport.
A magisterial court had allowed the LoC to be withdrawn, but last Friday the order was overturned by a special judge who asked Patel not to leave the country without its permission.
The CBI has conducted searches even after an FIR was registered against 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 job in India, like elsewhere, is to uphold and fight for universal human rights. These are the same values that are enshrined in the Indian Constitution and have long flown and the rich Indian tradition of pluralism, tolerance and dissent,” Amnesty said in the statement.
It is alleged that payment of Rs 10 crore classified as FDI was diverted from London office to Amnesty India without taking the approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CBI has also claimed that another Rs 26 crore was sent to Amnesty India, “primarily from UK-based entities”.
(With inputs from PTI.)