NewsClick UAPA case: Delhi Police likely to file chargesheet today

NewsClick UAPA case: The Special Cell of Delhi Police may file its chargesheet against Newsportal Newsclick, in the case registered under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that News Portal received huge money for pro-China propaganda. Recently, Delhi’s Patiala House Court granted an extension to the Delhi Police in filing the chargesheet in December last year. Police first got a two-months extension and then 20 days in February this year.

Prabir Purkayastha is the Prime accused while Amit Chakraborty has been turned approver in the case. Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, along with the head of its human resource department Amit Chakravarty were arrested in the case on 3rd Oct 2023. 

Cases registered against these sections

Both were arrested under stringent provisions of UAPA u/s sections 13, 16, 17, 18 and 22 of the UAPA, along with IPC sections 153A and 120B. The Delhi Police FIR stated that foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of a conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, and security of India.

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell in its FIR against news web portal NewsClick’s founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha stated that People’s Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by M/S PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd. has been used for intentionally peddling false narratives through paid news in lieu of crores of Rupees of illegally routed foreign funds as part of the conspiracy.

Funds from foreign infused illegally in India

Foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India, stated in FIR. 

The Delhi Police initiated this case based on information provided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following its investigation last year. The police FIR alleges that American billionaire Neville Roy Singham was continuously funding NewsClick.

NYT report on NewsClick case 

On August 5, The New York Times published an article titled “A US Tech Mogul Linked to a Global Web of Chinese Propaganda,” alleging that NewsClick, a news portal, was part of a global network receiving funding from American millionaire Singham, who was purportedly closely associated with Chinese government media.

Citing the NYT report, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur asserted that Congress, China, and NewsClick had an “anti-India umbilical cord” and were pushing the agenda of the Communist Party of China through the website. After the NYT report, NewsClick issued a statement two days later, denying the allegations as baseless and lacking factual or legal support.

Interestingly, the FIR in the NewsClick case also mentioned activist and journalist Gautam Navlakha, who, according to the police, has been a shareholder in the Newsclick company since 2018. The police alleged that Navlakha had been involved in anti-Indian activities, including active support for banned Maoist organisations and maintaining an anti-national connection with Ghulam Nabi Fai, an ISI agent from Pakistan.

According to the FIR, Navlakha has been associated with Purkayastha since 1991, when they established a company through which Purkayastha purportedly illicitly diverted foreign funds.

(With agencies inputs) 

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