Infusion of Chinese funds, publishing news against India, shielding Chinese telecos: FIR against NewsClick
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New Delhi: The FIR prepared by the Delhi Police against the news portal NewsClick and its founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha claims that the news portal has been a part of a larger conspiracy, involving the illegal act of infusing foreign funds into India through Chinese telecom companies.
On Tuesday, the Special Cell conducted raids at the homes of over 40 journalists in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai, resulting in the arrest of Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakraborty. The arrests are said to be in connection with an FIR lodged on August 17 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The FIR names prominent figures, including US tech millionaire Neville Roy Singham, activist Gautam Navlakha, Joseph Raj, Anoop Chakraborty, Urmilesh, Teesta Setalvad, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, and Gautam Bhatia as a "key person" in the case.
According to the FIR, the alleged conspiracy involved creating a Legal Community Network in India to defend legal cases against Chinese telecom companies in exchange for benefits from these companies. The police claim that Singham, an "active member of the Propaganda Department of Communist Party of China," used a complex network of entities for fraudulent fund infusion.
The police further accused NewsClick of publishing "paid news" critical of Indian government policies and promoting Chinese perspectives. The FIR suggests that large amounts of funds were routed from China in a circuitous manner to fund these activities.
In a remand application, the police asserted that Purkayastha conspired with the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 General Elections. Additionally, the FIR alleges that Purkayastha and Singham exchanged emails with the intent to depict Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as not part of India.
This revelation has sent shockwaves through the media landscape, raising questions about the nexus between news organizations, activists, and foreign entities. The accused individuals are set to face legal scrutiny as investigations into the alleged conspiracy continue to unfold.