Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 11: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a case against News Click for breaching the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, as reported on Wednesday, sources stated on Wednesday.
As per sources within the CBI, the investigative agency is currently conducting searches at two different sites in Delhi.
Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, and Amit Chakravarty, the head of HR, were both remanded to 10 days in judicial custody on Tuesday by the Patiala House Court of Delhi.
As a result of allegations that News Portal NewsClick received significant funding for pro-China propaganda, a case was filed against them last week by the Delhi Police under the anti-terror code UAPA.
Following a comprehensive review of the presented arguments, Additional Sessions Judge Dr. Hardeep Kaur approved the Delhi Police’s 10-day request for judicial custody of Purkayastha and Chakravarty in the case.
On Tuesday, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police presented Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakraborty in court as their remand period came to an end.
Advocate Arshdeep Singh appearing for Prabir Purkayastha said “My client is a journalist of repute and he is a renowned person for independent voice. But they (the Agency) filed an FIR under stringent sections of UAPA. The agency’s allegation is that I’m associated with Gautam Navlakha who is facing UAPA charges. And since he is facing UAPA charges, you also face UAPA charges. Mere association with someone has become a crime? He is a fellow journalist. I have known him since 1991. Now you are suddenly targeting me because of this association.”
In its First Information Report (FIR) against Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the news web portal NewsClick, the Special Cell of Delhi Police alleged that the People’s Dispatch Portal, which is owned and operated by M/S PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd, was deliberately employed to promote false narratives through paid news in exchange for a substantial amount of unlawfully channelled foreign funds as part of a conspiracy.
The Delhi Police FIR additionally stated that foreign entities hostile to India illegally infused crores of rupees into the country as part of a conspiracy to undermine India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cause disaffection against India, and endanger its unity, integrity, and security.
