NewsClick Case: Delhi Police Raids Kerala Residence Of Former Staffer

The Delhi police raided the residence of former NewsClick employee Anusha Paul near Kodumon in Kerala and seized her laptop and phone for examination as part of a probe.

The Delhi police raided the residence of former NewsClick employee Anusha Paul near Kodumon in Kerala and seized her laptop and phone for examination as part of a probe.

Source : PTI

NewsClick Case: The Delhi police carried out a raid at the residence of former NewsClick employee Anusha Paul near Kodumon in Kerala and seized her laptop and phone for examination as part of a probe, as reported by the news agency PTI. A three-member team of the Delhi police recorded her statement and confiscated electronic devices on Friday.

Speaking to the reporters, Paul said that she was questioned about her association with NewsClick and the CPI(M). She said the questions ranged from whether she reported on farmers' protest, anti-NRC-CAA protests, or about the COVID-19 management of the Centre.

"This is a witch-hunt to threaten the organisation and its employees who used to raise voice against the Narendra Modi government and the RSS," she said, as quoted by PTI. Paul was staying in Kerala for the treatment of a close family member. She further stated that the Delhi Police asked her whether she knows the Delhi state secretary of the CPI(M), K M Tiwari.

"Of course, I know him. I told them that. He is the state secretary of the CPI(M). I am a CPI(M) worker. I am a state committee member of Delhi unit of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and its state treasurer," she said, as quoted by PTI. Paul added that the Kerala police was not part of the raid team.

The Special Cell of the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty on Tuesday evening, after a total of 46 journalists and contributors to the online news portal were questioned and their mobile phones and other electronic gadgets seized. 

Earlier on Friday, the Delhi Police, in an FIR filed under anti-terror law UAPA following allegations against news portal NewsClick, alleged that foreign funds were infused illegally in India in pursuance of a conspiracy with the intention to disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India," the FIR stated, as per the news agency ANI. 

The Delhi Police served a copy of the FIR to the portal on Friday, a day after a city court directed it to do so. In the FIR, the police further alleged that a large amount of funds came from China. "In furtherance of this conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty of India and cause disaffection against India, a large amount of funds was routed from China in a circuitous and camouflaged manner and paid news were intentionally peddled, criticising domestic policies, development projects of India and promoting, projecting and defending policies and programmes of the Chinese government," the FIR said, as quoted by PTI.

In the FIR, the Delhi police said that the accused revealed their conspiracy to peddle a narrative, both globally and domestically, that Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are disputed territories.