New Delhi: The NewsClick news portal rejected the allegations levelled against it in a Delhi Police FIR and said the case was registered to “muzzle the free and independent press in India”, news agency PTI reported. An FIR registered against the news portal under anti-terror law UAPA alleged foreign funds were infused illegally in India in pursuance of a conspiracy in an attempt to disrupt sovereignty.
Taking to X, the news poral posted, “The NewsClick has not received any funding or instructions from China or Chinese entities. Further, NewsClick has never committed or sought to encourage violence, seccession or any illegal act in any manner whatsoever.”
"A perusal of NewsClick's coverage, which is freely available online, should be sufficient to indicate the veracity of NewsClick’s claims," it added.
Earlier this week, Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and the HR head Amit Chakravarty after raids at 88 locations related to the portal and its journalists.
The news portal, in a statement said, "The allegations in the FIR, apart from being ex facie untenable and bogus, have been made time and again, in investigations by three government agencies – the Enforcement Directorate, the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police, and the income tax department."
The portal further said none of the investigations led to any chargesheet and that the editor-in-chief was also granted interim protection. The latest FIR was registered to bypass that and make the arrests “illegally” under UAPA, the NewsClick statement said.
Notably, the Delhi Police registered an FIR under sections 13, 16,17, 18 and 22C of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and 153A, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and arrested Purkayastha and the HR head on Monday.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police will interrogate 10 people, including NewsClick journalists and contributors named in the FIR, on Monday, PTI reported. At least 20 people have already been questioned so far, police said, as reported by PTI.