The Delhi High Court has quashed cases registered by the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate against news portal NewsClick and its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha, citing that the continuation of the FIR was 'a gross abuse of the process of law' and the investment was an economic decision that 'did not spell out any criminal offence'.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing alleged fraudulent foreign funds infusion of more than Rs 86 crore into a company that runs the NewsClick portal even as it is expected to soon file a charge sheet in the case being probed under the anti-money laundering law, official sources said on Monday.
Justice Mukta Gupta said the interim protection granted to Prabir Purkayastha will be in force till the next date of hearing, September 2.
The court said there is nothing on record to suggest that since 2023, Purkayastha was ever called to join the investigations.
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.
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".
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.
"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.
The Delhi high court on Thursday extended till December 17 the interim protection from arrest granted to Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha in a foreign funding case and asked the Delhi police why it needed his custodial interrogation when the RBI has given a prima facie finding in his favour.
