The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has imposed a Rs 184-crore penalty on NewsClick and its founder, Prabir Purkayastha, for alleged FEMA violations related to foreign funding and misrepresentation of business activities.
The court said there is nothing on record to suggest that since 2023, Purkayastha was ever called to join the investigations.
'He is the same man who has won honours for the country across the world.'
NewsClick said that none of these investigations led to any chargesheets or complaints over the last three years."
Over 250 eminent citizens, including former judges and ambassadors, have written to the President and Chief Justice of India calling for strong action against online news portal NewsClick, which is alleged to have received dubious funds from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham to spread Chinese propaganda.
Chakravarty moved the application before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur last week, seeking pardon in the case and claiming he had material information that he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, which is investigating the matter.
"What we have been able to gather is that Newsclick stands accused of offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), for purportedly carrying Chinese propaganda on its website. All devices, laptops, gadgets, phones, etc have been seized in the past. All emails and communications have been analysed under the microscope," the statement by NewsClick read.
The CBI registered an FIR against NewsClick and its founder Prabir Purkayastha for alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and carried out searches at the office and residence of the portal's founder on Wednesday, officials said.
'Newsclick was involved in anti-India activities wearing a mask of journalism. And that too taking financial support from China which has been against India. Action is being taken against them'
The Delhi police on Tuesday arrested two persons including NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in connection with a probe in the portal's foreign funding, officials said.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta asked the AIIMS director to constitute the board and submit a report to it in two weeks.
As the Delhi police continue to raid different premises linked to NewsClick, a team reached at Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury's residence on Tuesday morning to question his staffer Sri Narayan's son Sunmit Kumar.
Chakravarty also claimed he was in possession of "material information" about the case which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi police.
The summons were sent to Singham recently on his personal email ID and also through the Chinese diplomatic channels after the ED routed them through the ministry of external affairs, the officials said.
The Delhi police special cell has questioned about 25 journalists and contributors of NewsClick for a second time in connection with a UAPA case registered against the online news portal for allegedly peddling "anti-national" agenda in the country, sources said on Monday.
The entire operation was meant to have a chilling effect on independent journalists, those not completely subservient to the regime, the small section still doing what the Fourth Estate should do -- raising questions to those in power.
Apart from senior officials, the mobile handset of junior officials were kept at the station, to hide any leaked information.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared as 'invalid' the arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in a case under the anti-terror law, and directed that he be released from custody.
The Delhi Police, in a first information report (FIR) filed under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) following allegations against news portal NewsClick, has alleged that a large amount of funds came from China in order to disrupt India's sovereignty and cause disaffection against the country.
Delhi Police's Special Cell Tuesday morning conducted raids at 30 premises connected with online portal NewsClick as well as its journalists' houses, triggering outrage against the action among scribes.
NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations the portal received money for pro-China propaganda, were sent to seven days of police remand, officials said on Wednesday.
More than 750 eminent citizens, including historian Romila Thapar, economist Jean Dreze and actor Naseeruddin Shah, on Wednesday came out in support of a news website which is alleged to have received dubious funds to spread Chinese propaganda.
NewsClick on Wednesday alleged in the Delhi high court that investigating agencies were abusing the process of law to subject it to criminal prosecution to create a "chilling effect".
Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur was hearing the arguments regarding the applications. Special Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava cited a Supreme Court judgment and said the accused had to approach the police commissioner, who would then form a committee regarding the same.
"We have seen reports about this outlet's ties to the People's Republic of China, but we can't comment yet on the veracity of those claims," State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a news conference in Washington, DC on Tuesday.
Special judge Hardeep Kaur sent both the accused to jail after they were produced before the court on expiry of their custodial interrogation by the Delhi police.
The HC had on July 29, 2021 extended the interim protection to the portal, represented through its holding company PPK NewsClick Studio Pvt. Ltd., and Purkayastha, uptill the next date of hearing.
They were called to the special cell office in the afternoon and questioned till late evening, a Delhi police source said.
The Delhi high court on Friday sought the stand of news portal NewsClick and its editor-in-chief on a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking vacation of an earlier order granting them protection from coercive action in a money laundering case.
It was also learnt that Gautam Navlakha, a shareholder in NewsClick, remained involved in anti-Indian and unlawful activities such as actively supporting banned Naxal organisations and having anti-national nexus with Gulam Nabi Fai, an agent of Pakistan's ISI, it stated.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also asked the police to file replies to their applications seeking interim release till the pendency of the petitions.
NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, arrested in a case lodged under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda, told the Delhi high court on Monday that the allegations against him were "false" and "bogus", and "not a penny has come from China".
The Income Tax department on Friday conducted separate 'survey operations' at the premises of online news portals Newsclick and Newslaundry in New Delhi, officials said.
The tax department surveyed the office of the news portal located at Sarvodaya Enclave in south Delhi on Friday along with that of another digital news platform Newsclick in Saidulajab area (south Delhi) on charges of alleged tax evasion.
In a significant order, the Supreme Court has restrained the Enforcement Directorate from accessing and copying content from electronic devices seized during searches against Santiago Martin, also known as the 'lottery king', his relatives, and employees.
The Delhi high court on Friday refused to interfere with the arrest and subsequent police remand of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and portal's human resources department head Amit Chakravarty in a case lodged under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
"He is a famous journalist and runs a digital media platform. Digital media platforms were allowed to get money from outside... The cap came the following year," Sibal argued.
Justice Mukta Gupta said the interim protection granted to Prabir Purkayastha will be in force till the next date of hearing, September 2.
'How can a journalist be accused of terrorism when there is no overt act of terror committed?'
BJP leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday charged that China, NewsClick website and the Congress are linked to an "anti-India umbilical cord" as he cited a news report which alleged that companies linked to China were funding the portal.
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