NewsClick Founder Arrested, Office Sealed, Journo Says Quizzed About Covering Protests — Top Points

NewsClick Raid: Journos were questioned for hours while the NewsClick office was sealed later in the day. Police confirmed arresting two including platform's Founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha.

Delhi Police Special Cell officials leave NewsClick office with Founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha | Image of Delhi office sealed later in the day ( Image Source :ANI )

Delhi Police carried out extensive searches at 30 locations linked to the online news portal NewsClick and several of its journalists on Tuesday, as part of an investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The probe revolves around allegations of financial transactions for pro-China propaganda. Delhi Police's Special Cell commenced the searches early in the day, focusing primarily on the Delhi-NCR region. The NewsClick office was sealed later in the day while police confirmed arresting two including Founder and Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkayastha.

#WATCH | Delhi Police Special Cell officials seal the office of 'NewsClick' in Delhi

Delhi Police is conducting raids at different premises linked to NewsClick under UAPA and other sections today. pic.twitter.com/yc1faa5sQw

— ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2023

NewsClick Founder And HR Head Arrested Under UAPA, Congress Calls It 'Undeclared Emergency' — Top Points:

• The Delhi Police stated that two accused, Prabir Purkayastha and NewsClick Human Resources head Amit Chakravarty have been arrested. "A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at premises, 9 female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay and digital devices, documents etc. have been seized/collected for examination," the police informed, as reported by news agency ANI.

  #WATCH | Delhi: Delhi Police Special Cell officials leave NewsClick office with Founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick Prabir Purkayastha. pic.twitter.com/Gcm20skW9b

  — ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2023

• Founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, was taken to the south Delhi office for questioning alongside a forensic team, news agency PTI reported. Other notable individuals questioned included journalists Urmilesh, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, historian Sohail Hashmi, and D Raghunandan of the Centre for Technology & Development, as per PTI's report.
  
  
• Police presented a list of 25 questions, covering topics such as foreign travel, participation in protests, including those against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the farmer's agitation, the report mentioned. 
  
  
• "Nine police personnel came to my house in Gurgaon at 6:30 am today. They asked me various questions. I voluntarily came with them to the Delhi Police Special Cell at Lodhi Road," journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta told media persons. 
  
  "The same set of questions were asked over and over again, if I am an employee of Newsclick, I said 'No, I'm a consultant'. They asked how much have you been paid, I told them. They asked me all kinds of questions. Have you covered the Delhi riots? I said no, have you covered the farmers agitation? I said yes. Why are you a consultant them, because I am a journalist. How long have you been a consultant? I said from May 2018'," he added.

  VIDEO | "Nine police personnel came to my house in Gurgaon at 6:30 am today. They asked me various questions. I voluntarily came with them to Delhi Police Special Cell at Lodhi Road. What has happened is in public domain and time will tell," says journalist @paranjoygt on Delhi… pic.twitter.com/YhaNa1EUBO

  — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 3, 2023

  "After I came here I learnt that an FIR has been lodged apparently under the Unlawful Activities Preventions Act," he replied in response to a question.
  
  
• Opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Samajwadi Party, along with the Press Club of India, reacted strongly to the searches, criticising the government for its actions. They accused the BJP of targeting journalists who criticise the government.

• The Congress party has strongly criticised the Centre in the wake of Prabir Purkayastha's arrest, alleging that the government has imposed an "undeclared Emergency" since 2014, which the party claims are intensifying due to perceived electoral threats in 2024.

  Gyan Prakash, the eminent historian at Princeton has written a deeply researched account of the 1975-77 period called Emergency Chronicles.
  
  One such hero of the resistance that Dr. Prakash describes in great detail is Prabir Purkayastha who later became an expert on energy…

  — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 3, 2023

  In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh referred to the arrest and voiced concerns over what he described as "vengeance" against journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta for his investigative work.

  Paranjoy Guha Thakurta is now facing the vengeance of the Modani regime for his relentless investigations on the PM's favourite business group but the exposés will keep coming out—make no mistake about it. pic.twitter.com/fqC0LVTxfQ

  — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 3, 2023

• Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur emphasised the independence of probe agencies, asserting that they work in accordance with the law. He stated that if someone has engaged in illegal financial transactions or objectionable activities, probe agencies have the authority to investigate.

  #WATCH | On Delhi Police action against 'NewsClick', Union minister Anurag Thakur in Odisha's Bhubaneshwar, "The investigation agencies are doing their work. If the agency has taken action, then it must have been based on evidence or complaint." pic.twitter.com/fAMFKEb1sx

  — ANI (@ANI) October 3, 2023

• Maharashtra Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis accused the platform of spreading "anarchy" in the country as he said, "A news portal is spreading anarchy against the Modi government. An inquiry set up against the portal revealed that this news portal is funded from China and is indulging in unlawful activities. Who is behind this?", as quoted by ANI.
  
  According to PTI, Fadnavis said that the investigation against the news portal has revealed Chinese funding which shows that certain forces want to derail the Modi government's development train.
  
  
• The Press Club of India expressed deep concern about the raids and declared solidarity with the journalists, demanding the government provide details.

In August, the Delhi High Court had sought Prabir Purkayastha's stance on a plea by city police to vacate an earlier order granting him interim protection from arrest in an unlawful foreign funding case, as per PTI.

NewsClick recently made headlines due to allegations of receiving money from US millionaire Neville Roy Singham for pro-China propaganda in India, the report mentioned. Union Minister Anurag Thakur had claimed, citing an investigation by The New York Times, that NewsClick's financial transactions revealed an anti-India agenda.