UK doctor-Youtuber Sangram Patil claims he was stopped at Mumbai airport due to 'active' LOC

Mumbai, Jan 19 (PTI) Popular Youtuber Dr Sangram Patil on Monday claimed a lookout circular issued against him by Mumbai police was still active despite "process for its withdrawal being initiated" as he was stopped at the international airport here this morning while he was on his way back to the United Kingdom.

Patil, a UK citizen, told PTI he was stopped at Mumbai international airport by immigration authorities who cited there was an active lookout circular against his name. The immigration officials informed him that he could not leave India because of this LOC, he claimed.

On January 10, Mumbai police had taken Patil into custody in connection with a cybercrime case, though officials had clarified at the time that he was not arrested but just served a notice under section 35(3) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which allows police to issue notice to an accused, instead of arresting him/her, in certain cases where the prescribed jail term is short.

Patil claimed Crime Branch Unit III had called him on January 16 and he had submitted written replies to all police queries on that day.

"I gave my statement and requested the police to cancel the lookout circular since the inquiry was complete and I was scheduled to return on January 19. The police had initiated the process to withdraw the LOC after January 10 and had taken my signatures and passport photograph for that purpose," he claimed.

"Despite informing them that I was returning on January 19, the lookout circular has not been withdrawn. I am a British citizen. My freedom of movement and freedom of expression is curtailed due to these police actions," Patil claimed while alleging that the section in the FIR does not "correlate with my post".

A case was filed against Patil at NM Joshi Marg police station in December on the complaint of BJP media cell functionary Nikhil Bhamre.

In his complaint, Bhamre has alleged that Patil spread false information about the BJP and made derogatory remarks against its leaders. PTI ZA BNM