A day after the arrest of the founder and the Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha and the Human Resources Head Amit Chakravarty, the duo was sent to seven days of police remand on Wednesday. Police arrested Purkayastha and Chakravarty on Tuesday after questioning them in their office following raids at their premises under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with other sections. As per Delhi Police, 37 male suspects were questioned at the premises, and nine female suspects were questioned at their respective places of stay, reported news agency ANI.
An FIR was registered earlier under the UAPA Act against the NewsClick journalists following which a crackdown was launched against them on Tuesday. Prabir Purkayastha, and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought to the special cell offices in Delhi as part of the investigation.
Delhi Police's Special Cell sealed the NewsClick's office on Tuesday. Raids were carried out at more than 30 locations in connection with the case which was registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy), reported news agency ANI.
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Earlier on August 10, a report in the New York Times alleged that NewsClick was part of a global network which receives funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham. According to ANI's report, Singham is known as a socialist benefactor of far-left causes. He is believed to be at the centre of a lavishly funded influence campaign that defends China and pushes Chinese propaganda. He is also believed to have close ties with the Chinese government's media machine.