Founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha brought to Delhi Police Special Cell office.
According to sources, a list of names of the people who were to be raided was made and they were divided into 3 (A, B, C) categories. The people included in category A have been detained.
Cops raid and swoop into quick locations, names divided into 3 categories
Govt sources -
“ It is about sovereignty of India and not about freedom of speech .An investigation by The New York Times had also reported that Indian news portal NewsClick is among organisations funded by a network tied to US millionaire Neville Roy Singham for pushing Chinese propaganda.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury says, "Police came to my residence because one of my companions who lives with me there, his son works for NewsClick. Police came to question him. They took his laptop and phone. What are they investigating, nobody knows. If this is an attempt to try and muzzle the media, the country must know the reason behind this."
Delhi Police Special Cell on Tuesday raided the houses of journalists and employees linked to NewsClick amid the news portal’s alleged Chinese links.
A large scale raid is being carried out by the Delhi Police Special Cell at over 30 locations in Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad.
The Delhi Police Special Cell has registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
"Newsclick funding push by China is an an assault on the sovereignty of India as it requires probe and investigation. The manner of routing of funds and transfer clearly points out to electronic evidences. Large sum of money has been transferred electronically and have been routed further into the system. Payouts have been made to so called journalist to spread Chinese propaganda," sources said.
At this stage it is important to secure the evidence and to go to the root of the matter.
Investigative agencies will have to look at every available record, including electronic record stored on devices to prevent tampering of evidence”
The issue was raised by BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey in Lok Sabha during Monsoon session of Parliament.
The searches by the Delhi Police are based on the input shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), indicating unlawful activities by the suspects.
An investigation by ED had revealed fraudulent infusion of foreign fund of Rs 38.05 crore during a short span of three years.
The scrutiny of the evidence by the ED revealed questionable infusion of foreign inward remittance of Rs 9.59 crore by way of FDI and Rs 28.46 crore by way of export of services.
The funds so received were distributed to several controversial journalists, including Gautam Navlakha and associates of Teestha Setalvad.
Details regarding China link were also shared by the ED with Delhi Police.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a case against the news portal, alleging that NewsClick received foreign funding in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The agency had also alleged that the money was used for anti-national activities.
A New York Times report claimed that the outlet was part of a global network that received funding from American billionaire, Neville Roy Singham, to "spread Chinese propaganda".
The central probe agency’s action against digital news website NewsClick -- first against any media firm -- uncovered the alleged involvement of the site in peddling pro-China information in a news format.
As per sources, in the probe, the agency found a series of email exchanges between Newsclick Director Prabir Purkayastha with various journalists along with millionaire Neville Roy Singham, and CPI(M) leaders like Prakash Karat.
ED indicated that Neville Roy Singham, who stays in China, gave NewClick Rs 38 crore illegally to peddle pro-China information in India, reports 'India Today' .
Newsclick Director Prabir Purkayastha and his associate journalists are also accused of writing and publishing paid news on their website in exchange for periodical funds given by Singham to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd.
“In 2021, we exposed NewsClick as to how foreign propaganda is against India. In this anti-India campaign, Congress and other opposition parties came in their support… Chinese companies were funding NewsClick through Mogul Neville Roy Singham but their salesmen were some people from India, who came in their
support when action was taken against them…” said I & B Minister Anurag Thakur in August.
In a report, The New York Times has named Indian news portal NewsClick, and alleged that it was part of the global network that received funding from China-based American tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, who is reportedly involved with the Chinese government.
On Delhi Police conducting raids ....."If an agency runs the agenda of China using their money, it should not be allowed. Investigations were already going on against them. They are using China's money to promote China and defame India. Strict actions will be taken against all of them who are taking money from foreign countries and working against India," one BJP leader remarked.
According to sources, a list of names of the 'people' who were to be raided was made and they were divided into 3 (A, B, C) categories. The people included in category A have been detained.
According to reports, the raids are in connection with a case registered against NewsClick in August after a New York Times report alleged that the website had received funds from an American millionaire to spread "Chinese propaganda".
It claimed that Neville Roy Singham worked closely with the "Chinese government media machine" and used his network of non-profit groups and shell companies to "finance its propaganda worldwide".
A case was reportedly registered on 17 August against the website. NewsClick has strongly denied all the charges as false.
Mr Rajoura's lawyer Ilin Saraswat told the BBC that police reached the comedian's home at 06:30 local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
A vocal critic of the government, Mr Rajoura has worked on satirical videos for NewsClick in the past. Mr Saraswat said the police seized his laptop, his two phones, some DVDs of his old work and some documents.
"The police said that Mr Rajoura is not named in the current investigation, but since he has worked with the website, he will be interrogated. We have not been provided a copy of the police complaint," he added.
Earlier this year, tax officials searched BBC offices in India, questioning staff about the organisation's business operations in the country. The searches in Delhi and Mumbai had come weeks after the broadcaster aired a documentary in the UK critical of Mr Modi's role in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Tax officials also accused the Dainik Bhaskar newspaper of tax evasion in 2021 after its critical coverage of the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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