New Delhi: NewsClick used funds received illegally from China to set and propagate through its coverage a narrative about protests and violence across the country like the farmers’ agitation, the Citizenship Amendment Act protests, and the Bhima Koregaon violence — this is what the Delhi Police has alleged in its case lodged 17 August under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, ThePrint has learnt.
After extensive day-long raids, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested the news portal’s editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and its human resources head Amit Chakraborty Tuesday evening. Both have been sent to seven days’ police custody.
At least 46 people including journalists, freelancers, contributors, columnists, activists, comedians and others were questioned by Delhi Police in connection with the case. Their phones, laptops and other devices were also seized. The NewsClick office has also been sealed.
“The news website was receiving funds from China. They received funds from a Shanghai-based US businessman, Neville Roy Singham. They published stories with a set narrative about protests and violence to tarnish India’s image to create unrest,” a source in Delhi Police told ThePrint.
The source further alleged: “They used the funds to create disharmony in the country. A conspiracy for the same was hatched.”
The funds were also used to “discredit” the government’s Covid management measures, sources also claimed.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) documents describe Singham as a “close confidant” of Purkayastha’s, and a contact person of the Communist Party of China (CPC). NewsClick was already under the scanner of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and ED for allegedly receiving Chinese funds routed through the US.
“They took money from China and used it to propagate Chinese ideologies — write against the government…They have been doing so since the last 6-7 years,” the Delhi Police source mentioned earlier, said.
On Wednesday, journalists and contributors were asked about how much salary they got, their contracts etc.
Apart from Purkayastha and Chakravorty, the investigators asked the others about their “associations” with the news portal, another Delhi Police source said. “How they received money from NewsClick, and what exactly they did/wrote for the news portal. They were also asked about their past work done for the company, events covered as journalist, employee detail, contract.”
“Yesterday was the first round. They have been called again on various dates by serving notice u/s 43(f) of UAPA,” the source added. “Purkayastha and Chakravorty were asked about the management of funds, why only foreign money was received, foreign associates etc. The investigation is still on.”
NewsClick Wednesday released a statement about the 17 August case earlier in the day, denying the allegations and alleging that the seizures were made from their premises and homes of employees “without any adherence to due process”, while their office was sealed “in a blatant attempt at preventing us from continuing our reporting”.
The news portal also claimed that it had not been provided a copy of the 17 August FIR.
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‘Incriminating emails’
In the ED case, the investigators allegedly found that Singham exchanged “incriminating emails about China with editor Prabir Purkayastha” and other journalists, activists, and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders. According to ED sources, the money from China routed via the US was used to pay “salary” to Bhima Koregaon accused activist Gautam Navlakha, currently in jail.
The August FIR against NewsClick was registered under sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for terrorist acts), 18 (conspiracy) and 22(C) (offences by companies) of the UAPA, as well as IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
‘Malicious intent’
“We have not been provided with a copy of the FIR, or informed about the exact particulars of the offences with which we have been charged. Electronic devices were seized from the NewsClick premises and homes of employees, without any adherence to due process such as the provision of seizure memos, hash values of the seized data, or even copies of the data. NewsClick’s office has also been sealed in a blatant attempt at preventing us from continuing our reporting,” read the news portal’s statement.
It further said that it is an independent news organisation, that the website does not publish any news or information at the behest of any Chinese entity or authority, directly or indirectly, does not propagate Chinese propaganda on its website and doesn’t take directions from Neville Roy Singham regarding content published on its website. All its funding has been through appropriate channels, it added.
“The Special Cell of Delhi Police has not referred to a single article or video that they consider to be Chinese propaganda. Indeed, the line of questioning adopted by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police — regarding reportage on the Delhi riots, the farmers protests etc., all demonstrate the motivated and malicious intent behind the present proceedings,” the statement read.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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