April 30th 2024.
A recent development in the ongoing case against NewsClick founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha has caught the attention of many. A Delhi court has officially taken note of the chargesheet filed against him under the anti-terror law UAPA. The allegations against Purkayastha suggest that the news portal had received money to promote pro-China propaganda.
During the court proceedings, Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur carefully examined the evidence presented against Purkayastha and deemed it to be sufficient enough to proceed with the case. As a result, the prosecution was directed to provide Purkayastha with a copy of the chargesheet. The judge has set a date of May 31 for arguments on the framing of charges.
In a separate but related turn of events, the court had previously granted NewsClick HR Head Amit Chakravarty the status of an approver in the case. Chakravarty, who had been arrested earlier, was pardoned after he claimed to have crucial information that could assist the Delhi police in their investigation.
According to the FIR, a significant amount of funds were allegedly transferred to NewsClick from China with the intention of "disrupting the sovereignty of India" and instigating disaffection towards the country. The FIR also accuses Purkayastha of conspiring with a group known as People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism in an attempt to sabotage the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The police had conducted raids at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3, targeting individuals named in the FIR as well as those who surfaced during data analysis. As a result, around 300 electronic gadgets were confiscated from NewsClick's office and the homes of the journalists who were questioned.
A total of 46 individuals, including nine female journalists, were questioned by the Special Cell in relation to the case. As the investigation continues, many are eagerly anticipating the outcome of the trial against Purkayastha and his co-accused.
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