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Delhi HC grants anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder in foreign funding case
In 2023, Delhi police special cell registered a case against Prabir Purkayastha under UAPA for allegedly receiving foreign funds through Chinese firms
The Delhi high court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick’s founder Prabir Purkayastha in a foreign funding case registered by Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
A bench of justice Neena Bansal Krishna also granted anticipatory bail to Prabir in the money laundering case based on the EOW case.
“Bail granted,” justice Neena Bansal Krishna said while pronouncing the verdict.
The court also granted anticipatory bail to the portal’s director Pranjal Pandey in the EOW case.
A detailed copy of the verdict is awaited.
EOW in August 2020, registered a first information report (FIR) against the news portal for allegedly violating FDI norms under sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (punishment for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). EOW’s case had also formed the basis of Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering FIR against the portal for allegedly overvaluing shares, diverting funds.
The high court in July 2021 had granted interim protection from arrest in the cases.
In 2023, Delhi police special cell had also registered a case under stringent provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly receiving foreign funds through Chinese firms to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The special cell in the FIR alleged that the accused had conspired with a group called Peoples Alliance for Democracy and Secularism to sabotage the 2019 general elections. The police also claimed that the money was routed into the portal by Chinese firms Xiaomi and Vivo with the aid of shell companies.
In May, last year, the Supreme Court ordered immediate release of Prabir in the UAPA case, saying that his arrest and subsequent remand was invalid.
