INDIA: On Tuesday, the Delhi Police Special Cell conducted raids at the residences of journalists and staff associated with NewsClick amid the news portal’s purported Chinese connections.
The Delhi Police Special Cell conducted raids at more than 30 locations in Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad, following a case filed on August 17 under the strict anti-terrorism legislation known as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
During the raid, officers seized electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones and conducted data extractions from hard drives. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provided information that suggested potential illegal activities involving the subject individuals, which led to the start of these searches.
While some journalists were brought to the Special Cell office at Lodhi Road, no arrests have been made as of now, according to officials.
In response to inquiries about the raids, Union Minister Anurag Thakur stated, “I don’t need to justify it… If anyone has committed anything wrong, search agencies are free to carry out investigations against them under set guidelines.”
A probe by the Enforcement Directorate disclosed alleged fraudulent infusions of foreign funds totaling Rs 38.05 crore over a brief three-year period.
The examination of the evidence by the investigative agency revealed questionable foreign inward remittances of Rs 9.59 crore through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Rs 28.46 crore through the export of services.
The received funds were allegedly disbursed to various contentious journalists, including Gautam Navlakha and individuals linked to human rights activist Teesta Setalvad.
The investigative agency also gave the Delhi Police information about NewsClick’s connections to China.
The Press Club of India expressed significant apprehension on X about the searches conducted at the residences of journalists and authors associated with NewsClick.
“The Press Club of India is deeply concerned about the multiple raids conducted on the houses of journalists and writers associated with NewsClick. We are monitoring the developments and will be releasing a detailed statement,” it said.
“The PCI stands in solidarity with the journalists and demands the government come out with details,” the statement added.
A government source said, “It is about India’s sovereignty and not about freedom of speech.” The New York Times’ investigation revealed that NewsClick, an Indian news portal, is one of the organisations that receives funding from a network connected to US businessman Neville Roy Singham for disseminating Chinese propaganda.
The source went on to describe China’s drive for NewsClick funding as “an assault on the sovereignty of India” and pointed out that the way money was transferred and routed was obvious evidence of electronic evidence.
A significant amount of money has been electronically transmitted and is now moving through the system. To propagate Chinese propaganda, so-called journalists have received payments. Getting to the bottom of the issue and obtaining the facts are crucial at this point.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a case against the news portal, accusing NewsClick of receiving foreign funding in contravention of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The agency also claimed that these funds were used for activities deemed to be against the interests of the nation.
According to a New York Times report, the news outlet was linked to a global network that received financial support from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham to “spread Chinese propaganda.”
The actions taken by the central investigative agency against the digital news website NewsClick—first against any media organisation—revealed the alleged involvement of the website in disseminating pro-China information in a news format.
According to sources, during the investigation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) uncovered a series of email exchanges involving Newsclick Director Prabir Purkayastha, various journalists, as well as millionaire Neville Roy Singham and leaders of the CPI (M) like Prakash Karat.
The ED alleged that Neville Roy Singham, residing in China, illicitly provided Rs 38 crore to Newsclick to promote pro-China content in India.
Newsclick Director Prabir Purkayastha and his associated reporters face accusations of producing and publishing paid news on their site in exchange for periodic funds supplied by Singham to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd.
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