The Delhi Police Special Cell on Tuesday conducted raids at several locations linked to the news portal 'NewsClick' in Delhi-NCR. NewsClick is alleged to have received dubious funds to spread Chinese propaganda as alleged by a report in the New York Times, the PTI reported.
Over 30 locations linked to NewsClick were raided as per sources, as reported by news agency ANI.
Advocate for NewsClick writer Urmilesh, Gaurav Yadav has reached the Delhi Police Special Cell office. He said, "Urmilesh's wife informed me that he has been arrested by Delhi Police. I have no other details as of now."
Sources told ANI that the Delhi Police’s ongoing raids at different premises linked to NewsClick are based on a case registered on 17th August under UAPA and other sections of IPC. The case was registered under sections of UAPA, 153A of IPC (promoting enmity between two groups), 120B of IPC (Criminal conspiracy).
Reacting to the development, BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam said, "Strict actions will be taken on NewsClick or any other agency that will work on the funds from foreign countries to break the country. China does not want to see our country grow and it is trying to use anti-national agencies against the country..."
Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday described the raids by the Delhi Police's Special Cell at the residences of NewsClick journalists as a "fishing" expedition. Mufti, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said the raids were extremely perturbing as she accused the central government of championing press abroad and attacking it at home.
"GOI claims India is the mother of democracy & about press freedom abroad yet in the same breath uses state agencies to the crackdown on the remaining handful of independent media outlets.
"Even telephone devices have been forcibly snatched only for a fishing expedition. The repeated illegal pattern of arrest first & creating fake charges later is extremely perturbing (sic)," Mufti wrote in a post on X.
The Special Cell has registered a new case and started an investigation, officials told PTI. Abhisar Sharma, a senior journalist, wrote on X, "Delhi police landed at my home. Taking away my laptop and phone." Another journalist, Bhasha Singh, wrote on X, "Finally last tweet from this phone. Delhi police seizure (sic) my phone."
