Delhi Police seal office of NewsClick after raids in investigation

The news organisation has been under investigation over allegations of receiving funds from China

The Delhi Police, on Tuesday, sealed the office of news portal NewsClick in connection with its probe into a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA anti-terrorism law following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell conducted searches at 30 different locations connected to NewsClick and its journalists.No arrests have been made thus far, and the searches primarily took place in the Delhi-NCR region. 

Founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha was brought to the portal's south Delhi office, accompanied by a forensic team.

Several individuals, including video journalist Abhisar Sharma, political commentator and senior journalist Aunindyo Chakravarty, veteran journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Bhasha Singh, Bappa Sinha, and Urmilesh were questioned by the police. They were presented with a list of 25 questions, covering various topics such as their international travels and involvement in protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and the farmers' agitation.

These early morning raids, as well as the confiscation of phones and laptops, have sparked criticism from various media organisations, including the Editors Guild of India (EGI). 

EGI expressed concern that these actions could be perceived as attempts to suppress the media and emphasized the importance of adhering to due process.

"While we acknowledge the necessity of pursuing legal action in the face of actual offenses, it is crucial that the process respects the principles of freedom of expression and the right to dissent," EGI stated.

In August of this year, The New York Times published an investigative report alleging that NewsClick received funding from a network linked to US millionaire Neville Roy Singham to promote Chinese propaganda.

"The Indian authorities conducted a raid on a news organization associated with Mr. Singham during a crackdown on the media, accusing it of ties to the Chinese government without providing evidence… Corporate records in New Delhi indicate that Mr. Singham's network financed NewsClick, a news site that featured Chinese government talking points," The New York Times reported.

These allegations against NewsClick were initially made by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2021 when they conducted searches at NewsClick's premises as part of an investigation into alleged foreign remittances.