Newsclick HR Head Chakravarty Moves Delhi Court To Turn Approver In Anti-Terror Case: Report

NewsClick's HR head Amit Chakravarty has moved an application before a Delhi court seeking to disclose material information information in exchange for pardon in the case.

NewsClick's human resources department head Amit Chakravarty has moved a Delhi court seeking permission to turn an approver (government witness) in the anti-terror case registered under UAPA over allegations that the news portal received money to spread pro-China propaganda, reported PTI citing court sources. The application was moved before Special Judge Hardeep Kaur last week in which Chakravarty has sought pardon in the case and claimed he had material information that he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police, which is investigating the matter, the report added.

Police sources told PTI that the agency will take a decision on whether to support his application before the court after going through his statement. Meanwhile, the judge has posted the matter before a magisterial court for recording the HR head's statement.

Chakravarty and news portal's founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha were arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on October 3 and are currently in judicial custody.

The FIR against them states that a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country. It also alleges that Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

As part of the investigation, police had raided 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on October 3 on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data. They seized around 300 electronic gadgets from the offices of NewsClick and the residences of the journalists who were examined.

The Special Cell of Delhi police then questioned 46 individuals, including nine female journalists.

Last month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued fresh summons to American millionaire Neville Roy Singham for questioning in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to NewsClick, official sources said.

The businessman, who is accused of spreading Chinese propaganda in India, is stated to be currently based in Shanghai, China.