Delhi Police Arrests NewsClick Founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha Under UAPA
03-10-2023 : The Delhi Police took two individuals into custody, including Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, after conducting searches at their premises. The police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections during this operation. This development came in response to an FIR registered under the UAPA and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 153A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
The Delhi Police reported that they had questioned a total of 37 male suspects at the premises and interviewed nine female suspects at their respective residences. Furthermore, digital devices and documents were seized and collected for further examination.
The Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, along with writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh, were taken to the special cell offices in the national capital as part of the ongoing investigation. The police had initiated this crackdown against NewsClick and its journalists earlier on the same day.
In a significant move, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell sealed the office of the online news portal in the national capital. The raids, which were carried out at over 30 locations, were part of the investigation into the FIR registered under the UAPA and related sections.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur, while speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, expressed that if such action had been taken, it must have been based on evidence or complaints.
The Editors Guild of India voiced its concerns about the incident, stating that it was “deeply concerned” about the raids at the residences of senior journalists. Laptops, mobile phones, and other devices belonging to senior journalists were reportedly seized during the raids. The Guild noted that the raids were conducted in connection with an FIR filed under the draconian UAPA and laws related to criminal conspiracy and disruption of communal harmony against journalists associated with Newsclick.in.
In a previous development on August 10th, a report in The New York Times had alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network receiving funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham. Singham has been recognized as a benefactor of far-left causes and was implicated in a well-funded influence campaign that defended China and promoted its propaganda. His close ties with the Chinese government’s media machinery were also reported.
