Founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed AIIMS to set up a medical board to examine the health condition of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, currently lodged in Tihar Jail in a case registered against him under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta asked the director of AIIMS to constitute the board and submit a report in two weeks.

“Taking into consideration all this, it will be appropriate that the medical condition is examined by a board appointed by the AIIMS director. The board shall also consider the jail records and complete medical history of petitioner,” it said.

The direction came after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Purkayastha, submitted that the report filed by the prison authorities about his client’s medical condition was not correct.

The Delhi High Court had on October 13 dismissed the pleas filed by Purkayastha and the news portal’s human resources department head Amit Chakravarty against their arrest and subsequent police remand in the case.

Both were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3.

According to the FIR lodged in the case, huge funds came to the news portal allegedly from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.

It also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with a group — People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) — to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Delhi court Tuesday sent to 10-day judicial custody NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda. The two were produced before Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur around 2:50 PM.

The prosecution sought 10 days judicial custody for the duo, which was firmly opposed by Mr Purkayastha’s counsel, who asserted “prima facie” no case was made out against his client.

“What terrorist act have I committed? How can I as a journalist commit such an act? What is the allegation in the FIR? That we have done critical reporting of (government’s) Covid policy and farmers protest. Is that terrorism?” the lawyer said.

The counsel said if there was even an iota of doubt about their guilt, sending them to judicial custody will be a “travesty of justice”.

The counsel for Mr Chakravarty argued he was not a journalist nor had he received any payment.

 “There is no such allegation that there is a map of India, published by Newsclick, that shows India without Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.

Countering the arguments, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Atul Shrivastava said the case was at a stage when evidence was still being collected, and the prosecution has sought judicial custody for the accused in all “fairness”.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police had arrested Mr Purkayastha and Mr Chakravarty on October 3. Police also sealed NewsClick’s office in Delhi.

According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to “disrupt the sovereignty of India” and cause disaffection against the country.

It also alleged Mr Purkayastha conspired with a group — People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) — to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data, police said.

Around 300 electronic gadgets were also seized from the offices of NewsClick and the residences of the journalists who were examined.  Following the raids, 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the Special Cell in Delhi and NCR.

The Delhi High Court Monday reserved its order on pleas by Mr Purkayastha and Mr Chakravarty challenging their arrest and the subsequent 7-day police remand.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A city court on Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi police on a plea filed by NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA following allegations about the news portal having received money for pro-China propaganda, seeking a copy of the FIR.

Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur directed police to file its response by tomorrow when the court will hear arguments on the application.

The court, meanwhile, agreed to hand over a copy of the remand application, filed by police, to Advocate Arshdeep Singh Khurana, the counsel for the accused.

Mr Khurana requested the court for a copy of the FIR so he could move the Delhi High Court for legal remedies available to the accused.

The court also allowed the counsel to meet the accused for one hour daily during the remand period.

The judge posted the matter for tomorrow, after the city police submitted its Special Public Prosecutor was not present to argue the matter.

Purkayastha and Chakravarty were remanded in police custody for seven days after they were produced at the judge’s residence, officials said.

Police had on Tuesday searched more than 30 locations, questioned several journalists in connection with the case, and arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty.

Police sealed NewsClick’s office in Delhi on Tuesday. Officials said 46 “suspects” were questioned and digital devices, including laptops and mobile phones, and documents were taken away for examination.

Among those questioned were journalists Urmilesh, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta as well as historian Sohail Hashmi, satirist Sanjay Rajoura and D Raghunandan of the Centre for Technology & Development.

After being questioned for over six hours, they were allowed to go.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)