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NewsClick case: Founder, HR head sent to judicial custody till December 1
The duo was arrested on October 3 by the Delhi Police’s special cell following questions after raids on journalists, freelancers, writers, and satirists linked to the portal
New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Thursday sent Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakraborty to judicial custody until December 1 in the case registered by the Delhi police special cell against them for allegedly receiving foreign funds through Chinese firms to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur sent the NewsClick founder and it’s HR head to judicial custody after they were produced before the court as their nine days police custody came to an end.
The duo was arrested on October 3 by the Delhi Police’s special cell following questions after raids on journalists, freelancers, writers, and satirists linked to the portal. An FIR was registered under sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising fund for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy) and 22C (offences by companies, societies, and trusts) of UAPA as well as sections 153A (promoting enmity) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
According to the Delhi police, the founder allegedly conspired with a group named Peoples Alliance for Democracy and Secularism to sabotage the 2019 general elections and Chinese firms such as Xiaomi and Vivo incorporated shell companies illegally to infuse foreign funds to disrupt the country’s sovereignty.
Citing secret inputs, the police claimed that Indian and foreign entities illegally infused funds worth crores, which was done in pursuance of conspiracy and with intention to disrupt India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cause disaffection and threaten the country’s unity and integrity.
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The police further alleged that the foreign fund was brought into the company’s coffers by an active member of the Communist Party of China, identified as Neville Roy Singham.
After their arrest, the duo was produced in the early hours of October 4 before the court and were sent to seven days police custody.
They had also approached the High Court challenging their arrest and remand, but it was dismissed on October 13. They have now assailed the order of the Delhi High court and the matter is pending before the Supreme court.
On October 10, the duo was sent to judicial custody which was later extended till October 20. They were later sent to nine days police custody on October 25.
The FIR was filed, on August 17, days after a report was published in The New York Times alleging that the portal was part of a global network that received money for pushing Chinese propaganda. The American newspaper said that millionaire Singham funded NewsClick, among other outlets across the globe, to sprinkle its coverage with Chinese government talking points.
The NewsClick portal has rejected the Delhi Police’s allegations that it accepted funds from China to disrupt India’s sovereignty, saying that proceedings initiated against it were a “blatant attempt to muzzle” the free press in India. It called the police’s FIR that said the portal was attempting to trigger disaffection against the country, “untenable and bogus.”
The news portal ran into trouble in 2021 when the Enforcement Directorate registered a case based on a first information report (FIR) by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offence Wing in 2020. The allegations pertained to overvaluing of shares, diverting funds, and violation of FDI regulations.
