5 "potential witnesses" found against NewsClick founder, cops tells court

The Delhi Police arrested Purkayastha on October 3, alleging that Prabir Purkayastha conspired with a group called PADS to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

Seeking to protect the identities of five "potential witnesses" in its investigation against news portal NewsClick and its founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha, the Delhi Police has moved an application before a Delhi court, according to a report by The Indian Express (IE).

After recording the statements of the five "potential witnesses" under Section 164 of The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), cops moved the application before a Patiala House court earlier in December.

On October 3, the Delhi Police arrested Purkayastha on October 3, alleging that he conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He is currently in judicial custody.

A source was quoted as saying that an investigation officer (IO) informed the court that the case was sensitive and would have global implications. The lives and liberties of the witnesses are in danger. Therefore, the IO requested that the identity of all the witnesses be kept secret and confidential.

The Delhi Police had filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the founders of NewsClick, following The New York Times (NYT) report which claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network that received funding from American millionaire Neville Roy Singham. The NYT report claimed that Singham allegedly works closely with the Chinese government's propaganda machine.

Raids were conducted at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 on the suspects named. In September, 2021 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had first raided the premises of NewsClick in Saidulajab area of the national capital on charges of money laundering.