NewsClick Case: 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.
"These persons reveal their conspiracy to peddle a narrative, both globally and domestically, that Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are disputed territories. Their attempts to tinker with the northern borders of India and to show Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as not parts of India in maps amount to an act intended towards undermining the unity and territorial integrity of India," the FIR read, as quoted by ANI.
It also alleged that the founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PTI reported. Purkayastha and Amit Charavarty, the human resources department head at NewsClick, were arrested by the Delhi Police.
NewsClick Raids
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).