New Delhi:

NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, arrested in a case lodged under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda, told the Delhi High Court on Monday the allegations against him were “false” and “bogus”, and “not a penny has come from China”.

Justice Tushar Rao Gedela reserved the order on pleas by Mr Purkayastha and the news portal’s human resources department head Amit Chakravarty challenging their arrest and the subsequent 7-day police remand after the investigation agency defended its action claiming NewsClick received Rs 75 crore from a person in China to ensure the country’s stability and integrity were compromised.

“Arguments heard. Order reserved,” Justice Gedela said after hearing the rival sides for around two hours.

The court said any further remand of the accused would be subject to its order on the petitions by the two senior executives of the news portal.

Mr Purkayastha and Mr Chakravarty, who were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3, had moved the high court last week challenging their arrest and subsequent police custody and sought immediate release as interim relief.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the investigation agency, said the case involves “serious offences” and the probe was still going on.

“About Rs 75 crore odd… the investigation is on and I can show it from case diary… came from a person staying in China and the purpose is to ensure that the stability and especially the integrity of this country is compromised,” he said.

“One of the most serious allegations found in the e-mail exchanges between accused persons with somebody sitting in China is that we will prepare a map where we will show J&K and what we call Arunachal Pradesh… they use the expression which Chinese use namely ‘northern border of India’ and not show that (Arunachal) to be a part of India,” SG Mehta told the court.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Purkayastha, refuted the claim.

“All facts are false. Not a penny has come from China…The whole thing is bogus,” Mr Sibal said.

Mr Sibal, along with senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, contended their arrest and remand in the present case cannot be sustained on several legal counts, including that they were not told about the grounds of arrest at the time of arrest or even to date. The remand order was passed by the trial court in a mechanical manner, in the absence of their lawyers, they said.

Mr Purkayastha’s lawyers argued the arrests were in violation of a recent Supreme Court decision that made it mandatory for police to supply written grounds of arrest to an accused at the time of being apprehended.

Mr Sibal said there was an “obvious discrepancy” in the trial court’s remand order because while the order recorded 6 am as the time of pronouncement, in terms of the high court rules, Mr Purkayastha’s lawyer was sent the remand application through WhatsApp only at 7 am.

Mr Krishnan added that supplying grounds of arrest and having a lawyer of choice was a “constitutional requirement” under Article 22 of the Constitution, which enables an accused to object to remand.

SG Mehta maintained the arrest was “legal as per the textual requirements of UAPA” because the accused were “informed” about the grounds of arrest.

He said a legal aid counsel was present before the trial court when the remand application was taken up for hearing.

Mr Mehta asserted mere quashing of the remand order would not result in the accused “walking free” and suggested since the police custody was coming to an end, the accused could be sent to judicial custody, after which they can apply for regular bail.

The senior law officer also submitted that the Supreme Court’s decision pertaining to the supply of grounds of arrest in written form was for offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which was distinct from the UAPA, and that the ruling will have a “prospective effect” and not be applicable to this case.

“We intimated to him the grounds of arrest. It is not disputed. He was informed about grounds of arrest and produced before the special court within a stipulated time,” SG Mehta said.

“Tomorrow, police custody is getting over… It is a wrong proposition of law that quashing remand will result in the accused walking free… Remand is curable. I can place him in judicial custody and apply for remand afresh,” he added.

Mr Sibal contended a remand order cannot validate an arrest that has not been made as per the legal requirements.

Mr Mehta argued the reference to 6 am in the remand order was in the context of the production of the accused and not the pronouncement of the order.

Case diary is given for your perusal and “we have nothing to hide”, Mr Mehta told Justice Gedela.

The counsel for Mr Chakravarty told the court that he suffered from polio and his arrest was not required as he was neither a journalist nor an editor who would be responsible for the content on the portal. He said Mr Chakravarty has always cooperated with the probe.

Besides challenging their arrest, the two have also sought quashing of the FIR in the case.

The court said it will deal with the issuance of notice on this aspect at the time of its decision on the challenge to arrest and remand.

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.

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

A total of 46 journalists and contributors to NewsClick were questioned on Tuesday and their mobile phones and other electronic gadgets seized. Police also sealed the NewsClick’s office in Delhi.

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

Pathanamthitta, Kerala:

The Delhi police on Friday conducted a raid and seized the laptop and phone of Malayali journalist and former NewsClick employee Anusha Paul from her residence near Kodumon here.

After a three-member team of the Delhi Police recorded her statement and confiscated her electronic devices, Paul told the media that she was questioned about her association with NewsClick and the CPI(M).

She said the questions ranged from whether she reported on farmers’ protest, anti-NRC-CAA protests, or about the COVID-19 management of the Union government.

“This is a witch-hunt to threaten the organisation and its employees who used to raise voice against the Narendra Modi government and the RSS,” Ms Paul said.

Ms Paul was staying in Kerala for the treatment of a close family member.

She told the media that the Delhi Police asked her whether she knows the Delhi state secretary of the CPI(M), K M Tiwari.

“Of course, I know him. I told them that. He is the state secretary of the CPI(M). I am a CPI(M) worker. I am a state committee member of Delhi unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and its state treasurer,” she said.

She added that the Kerala Police was not part of the raid team.

“Later local police came and said they were not aware of the raids,” she claimed.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty on Tuesday evening, after a total of 46 journalists and contributors to the online news portal were questioned and their mobile phones and other electronic gadgets seized through the day.

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

A flood affected locality at Singtam, in Gangtok district, Wednesday, October. 4, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

10 dead, 22 army men among 82 missing as flash flood wreaks havoc in Sikkim; PM Modi dials CM

At least ten people died and 80 others, including 22 army personnel, went missing on Wednesday after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River basin, officials said. All 10 who died have been identified as civilians including 3 of the dead who were washed up in north Bengal, they said adding that one of the 23 army men who had gone missing in the morning was rescued later.

UAPA case against NewsClick for plot to disrupt sovereignty of India: police

A day after the Delhi Police arrested Prabir Purkayastha, founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, and Amit Chakraborty, Human Resources head of the news portal, a government source told The Hindu that the police were investigating a “terror case that has Chinese links.” The foreign remittances received by the news portal are already being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since 2021. The source said that the fresh terror case registered by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police was being investigated by multiple agencies.

NewsClick raids | Media bodies write to CJI, call for norms on interrogation of journalists

Over a dozen media bodies on Wednesday sought Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud’s intervention on the issue of raids against those linked to NewsClick, a digital news platform. Media persons and activists also turned up in large numbers at the Press Club of India to protest the police action. In a letter to the Chief Justice, the media organisations urged the courts to consider framing norms to discourage the seizure of journalists’ phones and laptops on a “whim”; and to develop guidelines for the interrogation of journalists and for seizures from them, to ensure that “these are not undertaken as fishing expeditions with no bearing to an actual offence”.

With Bihar caste survey, Nitish Kumar has set the national agenda, says JD(U) chief

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has set the national agenda ahead of the 2024 general election with the caste survey conducted in the State, Janata Dal (United)‘s Rajiv Ranjan Singh said on Wednesday. In an interview with The Hindu, he also criticised the BJP for alleging large-scale irregularities in the survey’s data collection process during an all-party meeting in Patna on Tuesday. 

Batches of India-manufactured syrups for cough, allergic rhinitis found contaminated: CDSCO

At least five batches of syrups for cough and allergic rhinitis of two Indian manufacturers — one Gujarat-based and one Tamil Nadu-based — have been found to contain higher than permissible levels of contaminants — diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, as per a recent report released by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Previously the World Health Organisation (WHO) too had issued alerts on contamination in cold-cough syrups exported by India and said these two contaminants were found in the drug.

Activists call for defeat of BJP to save MGNREGA from neglect

MGNREGA Sangharsh Morcha, a collective of workers, activists and academics have called for the defeat of the BJP government in the 2024 general elections to save the MGNREGS scheme. The various groups had just concluded their two-day national convention where the state of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was discussed.

New defence indigenisation list has futuristic weapons, systems

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday released the fifth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) of 98 items which will be procured by the three armed services from indigenous suppliers in a staggered manner as per specified timelines. He also released the Indian Navy’s updated indigenisation roadmap, named Swavlamban 2.0.

Akshata Murty makes U.K. political stage debut for ‘best friend’ PM Sunak

Britain’s Indian First Lady, Akshata Murty, made a surprise debut on the political stage on October 4 when she stepped out to introduce “best friend” Rishi Sunak for his maiden speech as U.K. Prime Minister to the Conservative Party conference in Manchester.

Former Russian journalist sentenced in absentia for Ukraine war criticism

A court in Moscow on Wednesday handed a former state TV journalist an 8 1/2-year prison term in absentia for protesting Russia’s war in Ukraine, the latest in a months-long crackdown against dissent that has intensified since Moscow’s invasion 20 months ago. Marina Ovsyannikova was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, a criminal offense under a law adopted shortly after the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine. 

Nepal town imposes lockdown and beefs up security to prevent clashes between Hindus and Muslims

Despite quickly escalating tensions between Hindus and Muslims, the night passed peacefully after a lockdown was imposed and security heightened in a city in southwest Nepal, officials said. Trouble began in the regional hub city of Nepalgunj over the weekend after a Hindu boy posted a status about Muslims on social media. Muslims protested the status inside the region’s main government administrator’s office building, burned tires on the streets and blocked traffic.

Lawyers of Imran Khan in Pakistan oppose his closed-door trial over revealing official secrets

Lawyers for Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday opposed his closed-door trial in a case in which he is accused of revealing state secrets after his 2022 ouster, saying it’s aimed at convicting the popular opposition leader quickly.

Moratorium under IBC to exempt aircraft and engines, govt. notifies

In a big relief for aircraft lessors, the government has notified that the protection offered to a corporate debtor from recovery of dues under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 will not cover aircraft, helicopters and engines. If implemented retrospectively, the move may impact Go First’s insolvency resolution proceedings under which the National Company Law Tribunal had granted it a blanket moratorium in May to shield it from lessors and creditors and also restrained the DGCA from accepting any applications for de-registration of aircraft from any lessors.

Tata Group to focus on coffee as core business category for future

Tata Group plans to intensify its focus on branded coffee as part of its strategy of “building core categories for the future.” Tea and salts have so far been Tata’s core categories and the company said it was currently in the process of building more core categories for the future and coffee was clearly a prominent one.

Asian Games | Why did so many decisions go wrong, questions Neeraj

Never before has Neeraj Chopra questioned officiating in any meet at any level. The Olympic and World Champion has preferred to let his performance do the talking so when he says “gadbad to hai” it speaks volumes about the level of officiating in athletics at the Asian Games.

Asian Games | Neeraj defends title, quartermilers take gold as India manages best-ever medal haul in athletics

Neeraj Chopra defended his Asian Games title with a season’s best throw of 88.88m and Kishore Kumar Jena managed a personal best of 87.54m as India completed a one-two in javelin but not before both got the short end of dodgy officiating as India finished the track & field assignments here with a best-ever haul of 29 medals including six on Wednesday – two golds and four silvers – for second spot on the table by numbers.

New Delhi:

A day after the Delhi Police action against the NewsClick portal, several prominent press organisations have written to Chief Justice Of India DY Chandrachud, seeking evolved guidelines for the interrogation of journalists and for seizures from them.

“India’s freedoms will be safe as long as journalists can speak truth to power, without being chilled by a threat of reprisal,” the press bodies said.

The press bodies cited the instance of raids conducted on October 3 on the homes of 46 employees of NewsClick.

The letter alleged that the country’s “investigating agencies have been misused and weaponised against the press”.

Frame norms “to discourage the seizure of journalists’ phones and laptops on a whim, as has been the case”, read the letter which also demanded to ensure that investigations are not undertaken as “fishing expeditions with no bearing to actual offences and finding ways to ensure the accountability of state agencies”.

“As journalists and news professionals, we are always ready and willing to cooperate with any bona fide investigation. However, ad hoc, sweeping seizures and interrogations surely cannot be considered acceptable in any democratic country, let alone one that has begun advertising itself as the ‘mother of democracy,” it said.

The letter has been signed by 15 organisations, including the Digipub News India Foundation, Indian Women’s Press Corps, and the Press Club of India.

The letter also flagged that a large section of journalists in India are “working under the threat of reprisal”.

It demanded the judiciary to “confront power with a fundamental truth – that there is a Constitution to which we are all answerable”.

“Subjecting journalists to a concentrated criminal process because the government disapproves of their coverage of national and international affairs is an attempt to chill the press by the threat of reprisal-the very ingredient you identified as a threat to freedom,” the letter read.

“We do not say that journalists are above the law. We are not and do not wish to be. However, intimidation of the media affects the democratic fabric of society,” it said.

NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources head Amit Chakravarty, arrested in a case filed under anti-terror law UAPA, have been sent to police custody for seven days.

Citing the case of Siddique Kappan – who was in jail for more than two years before securing bail – the letter demanded “a wide immunity against coercion must be read into the constitutional provisions of free speech, and methods must be devised against police overreach – especially given the repeated misuse of these powers”.

“Far too much is at stake to test every case at the end of a trial which can last years. Journalists arrested under UAPA can end up spending months if not years,” it said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has justified the police action against NewsClick, saying those involved in anti-India activities will face the strictest action as people have given the mandate to the Narendra Modi government to deal firmly with such elements.

Police have sealed NewsClick’s office in Delhi. Forty-six suspects were questioned and digital devices, including laptops and mobile phones, besides documents taken away for examination.

New Delhi:

A day after the arrest of two people, including the founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha and Human Resources Head Amit Chakravarty were sent to seven days of police remand on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Delhi Police arrested two persons including founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha after quizzing them in their office following raids at his premises under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections, the police officials said.

According to the Delhi Police, a total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at the premises, and nine female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay.

“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. A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at the premises, and nine female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay,” the police said.

It further said that the digital devices, documents etc have been seized and collected for examination.

The Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in the national capital as part of the investigation as Delhi Police launched a crackdown against NewsClick and its journalists earlier this morning in connection with an FIR registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Tuesday afternoon sealed the office of the online news portal in the national capital.

The raids were carried out at more than 30 locations in connection with a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

Earlier, on August 10, a report in the New York Times had alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network that receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham.

Mr Singham is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes and is at the centre of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda.

Mr Singham is also said to have close ties with the Chinese government’s media machine.

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

Washington:

The United States has seen reports about the alleged ties of an Indian media outlet, which was raided by officials a day earlier, with China but cannot comment on the veracity of the claims, an official said.

We have seen reports about this outlet’s ties to the People’s Republic of China, “but we can’t comment yet on the veracity of those claims”, State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a news conference here.

“Separately, of course though, the US government strongly supports the robust role of the media globally, including social media, in a vibrant and free democracy,” he said.

“We raise concerns on these matters with the Indian government, with countries around the world, through our diplomatic engagements that are at the core of our bilateral relationship.

“We have urged the Indian government and have done so not just with India, but other countries as well, about the importance of respecting the human rights of journalists, including freedom of expression both online and offline,” he said.

“I don’t have additional information though, about this particular circumstance or any of the underlying issues that may or may not be related to this outlet, however,” Mr Patel added.

The New York Times, in an investigated story in August, reported about the raided Indian media outlet receiving funds from an Indian American having ties to Chinese propaganda interests.

“A Times investigation had linked the site to a pro-China network,” the daily reported.

“In New Delhi, corporate filings show, Mr. Singham’s network financed a news site, NewsClick, that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points,” The New York Times then wrote.

In a statement, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy organisation of diaspora Indian Muslims, strongly condemned the raid on the office of the news portal and journalists associated with it.

The IAMC called upon the government to immediately drop the “baseless” case against NewsClick and release all journalists who have been unjustly detained.

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

Jammu:

 Peoples Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday condemned the Delhi police raids on the premises of NewsClick, saying, “speaking the truth in Amrit Kaal is the biggest crime”.

Speaking to ANI, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said, “We condemn it. In BJP’s ‘Amrit Kaal’, speaking the truth is the biggest crime.”

“They (NewsClick) were questioning the government. They were asking questions about the 2 crore jobs, Rs 15 lakh, which was to be deposited in the bank accounts of people, inflation, women athlete protests and the MP (Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers) who is walking free,” she said.

She said, “It seems whoever dares to question the government is put behind bars or booked under UAPA”.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media in Bhubaneshwar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the investigating agencies were doing their job.

“The investigating agencies are doing their job. If the agency has taken action, then it must have been based on evidence or a specific complaint,” the minister said.

Delhi police on Tuesday raided different premises linked to NewsClick in a case registered under UAPA on August 17.

The investigation, which is still underway was launched on the basis of information from central agencies. Sources also said that an FIR was filed at the New Delhi Range of Delhi Police special cell against NewsClick.

As part of the investigation, editor of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in the national capital today.

Sources said that the first meeting before launching the crackdown was held by the top officials of the special cell on Monday (October 2). The meeting was attended by over 200 police personnel at 2 am at the special cell office in Lodhi colony.

Apart from Senior Officials, the mobile handsets of Junior officials were kept at the station, to hide any leaked information.

The special team carried out raids at more than 30 locations, sources said, adding that suspects were marked in the A, B, and C categories.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, teams of the Delhi Police special cell & Mumbai police conducted searches at the residence of activist Teesta Setalvad.

The raids are being conducted on a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, which include UAPA, 153A of IPC (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy).

The raid team on Tuesday morning also reached at Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury’s residence to question his staffer Sri Narayan’s son Sunmit Kumar. The raid team seized the mobile, laptop, and hard drive of Sunmit Kumar, who works at NewsClick, sources said.

Earlier on August 10 a report in the New York Times had alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network that receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham.

Mr Singham is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes, and is at the centre of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes its propaganda. Neville Roy Singham is said to have close ties to the Chinese government media machine.

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