Newsclick Founder Prabir Purkayastha Arrested In Anti-Terror Case Amid China Fund Allegations

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "Founder and editor-in-chief
of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha
has been arrested under anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by Delhi Police. The Delhi Police has also sealed the office of NewsClick in connection with its probe into a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda news media house has been under investigation for allegedly receiving funds from China. Investigative authorities in India registered a case against the NewsClick site and its journalists on17 August, weeks after a New York Times report alleged that the NewsClick website had received funds from an American millionaire who, the Times wrote, has funded the spread of“Chinese propaganda.”“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.” Delhi Police informed.
\"A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at premises, 9 female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay and digital devices, documents etc. have been seized or collected for examination\", Delhi Police added.
\"Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!\" Click here!Delhi Police on Tuesday searched 30 locations connected with online news portal NewsClick and its journalists in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda and later in the day sealed its office said the Special Cell searches began early in the morning and were concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region. Founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha was taken to the NewsClick south Delhi office where a forensic team was present those questioned were journalists Urmilesh, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta as well as historian Sohail Hashmi and D Raghunandan of the Centre for Technology & Development posed a list of 25 questions on various issues, including their foreign travels, protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Shaheen Bagh as well as the farmers' agitation, sources said 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 Special Cell has registered a new case under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and started an investigation, they said Police sources said the raids are based on a case registered in August under UAPA and other sections of IPC, including Section 153A (promoting enmity between two groups), 120B (criminal conspiracy).Officials in the know said police seized laptops and mobile phones related to some NewsClick journalists.

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