Delhi Police Arrests NewsClick Founder Prabir Purkayastha In Foreign Funding Case

The Delhi Police said that a total of 37 men and nine women suspects were questioned at their homes on Tuesday and their documents, digital devices, etc. were seized for examination. It is pursuing a case against NewsClick under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Outlook Web Desk

Updated on: 3 October 2023 3:22 pm

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha is brought to Delhi Police Special Cell in New Delhi. Police raided the offices of the news website thats under investigation for allegedly receiving funds from China, as well as the homes of several of its journalists, in what critics described as an attack on one of Indias few remaining independent news outlets.

The Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested news portal NewsClick's founder Prabir Purkayastha in a foreign funding case.

In a statement released to the media in evening, the police said Purkayastha has been arrested along with Amit Chakravarty.

The two arrests come after the police raided the homes and offices of journalists and others associated with NewsClick in a case involving alleged foreign funding to peddle pro-China propaganda. Earlier in the day, the police also sealed the NewsClick office in Delhi.

The Delhi Police said that a total of 37 men and nine women suspects were questioned at their homes on Tuesday and their documents, digital devices, etc. were seized for examination.

"Regarding the search, seizure and detentions carried out today in connection with a UAPA case registered with Special Cell, so far, two accused, Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty have been arrested.
A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at premises, 9 female…
— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2023

The name of NewsClick had also figured in an investigation by The New York Times that revealed an international influence- and propaganda-peddling operation by China through a network of media organisations and activist organisations.

Besides Purkayastha and Chakravarty, others who were raided during the day include journalists Urmilesh, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta along with historian Sohail Hashmi and D Raghunandan of the Centre for Technology & Development, according to PTI.

Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also raided NewsClick as part of investigation related to its funding.

The PTI reported, "The Enforcement Directorate had earlier conducted raids at the firm's premises to probe its sources of funding. The Special Cell is now continuing the searches on the basis of inputs provided by the central agency, officials said."

The Delhi Police's Special Cell is pursuing a case against NewsClick under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).