On Tuesday, 3rd October, The Delhi Police conducted raids at 30+ locations, including the residence of various journalists who are connected with a probe into the funding of a news portal known as NewsClick.
The multiple raids took place in the residence of NewsClick Editor Prabir Purkayastha, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Bhasha Singh, Bappa Sinha, and Urmilesh.
Multiple people were taken into Special Cell’s office, including Urmilesj and Thakurta.
Advocate of NewsClicks journalist Urmilesh, Gaurav Yadav has told the news agency PTI that they have been outside the police special cell office in Delhi since 10 am and have tried to meet their clients but they weren’t able to. No documents have been provided to them including the copy of the FIR.
The case is filed against them under sections of UAPA, 153A of IPC which is the promotion of enmity between two groups, and 120 B of IPC which means criminal conspiracy.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police conducted numerous raids on the basis of information provided by the central agency. Police have recovered the discarded data from the laptops and mobile phones of people related to NewsClicks.
The Editors Guild of India has voiced their concern about the raids and the seizing of their belongings.
The NewsClick Controversy
All of this started in August 2023 when the US daily New York Times alleged that NewsClick is one of the organizations funded by a nexus tied to US millionaire Neville Roy Singham for pushing Chinese propaganda.
In February 2021, the premises of the NewsClick and the residence of the editors present there were raided by the ED for alleged money laundering based on an FIR registered by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing. Their probe at that period of time also showed that foreign transactions up to Rs 77 crore were received by NewsClick between 2018 and 2021.
The Political Reaction Towards the Journalists
Congress has said that the raids on NewsClick were just a fresh distraction from the explosive findings of the caste survey in Bihar and the continuous growth in demand for a caste census across the country.
However, some BJP leaders have voiced their support for the ongoing investigation. Maharashtra Deputy CM & BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that a news portal such as NewsClick is spreading anarchy against the Modi Government. An inquiry has been set up against the portal revealing that this news portal is being funded by China and is indulging in unlawful activities. Who is behind this?
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the probe agencies in this country are independent and work as per law and that he has no need to justify the raid. If someone has done something wrong then the probe agencies would work on it as it hasn’t been stated anywhere that they can’t work if the money was received through illegal methods.
