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Providing funds to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a banned terror organisation in India.
"Stoking" violence during the 2020 Delhi riots.
Using reporters to distribute money to "rioters" associated with the 2019 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
These are some of the allegations against NewsClick and its Editor-in-Chief Prabir Purkaystha in an 8,000-page chargesheet filed under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the Delhi Police Special Cell in a Delhi court.
Purkayastha was arrested in October 2023, along with NewsClick’s HR head Amit Chakraborty, for "illegally infusing foreign funds" through Chinese telecom companies as part of a "larger criminal conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India."
On Tuesday, 30 April, a Delhi court took cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police earlier this month, Bar & Bench reported. The case has been listed for hearing on 31 May.
Terming all the allegations as "concocted and baseless", NewsClick, in a statement on Wednesday, 1 May, said that the investigations by the Delhi Police "are attempts to target our independent journalism."
What else does the chargesheet allege – and what has NewsClick said in response? The Quint breaks it down for you.
The issue first began in August 2023 when a New York Times (NYT) report alleged that NewsClick was funded by Shanghai-based American tech mogul Neville Roy Singham for "pushing Chinese propaganda."
On 17 August 2023, the Delhi Police Special Cell filed a First Information Report (FIR). Purkayastha and Chakraborty were subsequently arrested on 3 October 2023 after day-long raids were conducted at over 30 locations, including homes of journalists, in connection with the probe.
The FIR named Purkayastha, Chakraborty, Singham, and Gautam Navlakha, an activist accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, for their alleged conspiracy of "peddling a narrative against India." Chakraborty has since turned approver in the case.
It invoked multiple sections of the UAPA, besides sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). You can read more about it here.
In its chargesheet, the Delhi Police has alleged that NewsClick had "active links/association with the Communist Party of India (Maoist) declared as Terrorist Organisation under the First Schedule of UA(P) Act, 1967."
The police also alleged that funds were given to LeT, a terrorist organisation banned under the UAPA. "Active association with terrorists i.e. LET. Also gave financial assistance to them," the Delhi Police alleged in its chargesheet.
In response to this, NewsClick said that Purkayastha "does not have links to any terrorist group."
The Delhi Police also alleged that NewsClick was involved in "malicious disinformation campaign" using Purkayastha's company PP NewsClick India LLP.
Apart from that, the Delhi Police also alleged that during the CAA-NRC protest in Shaheen Bagh in 2019, Prabir Purkayastha also had been allegedly "utilising his employees/partners for the purpose of disbursing cash to the rioters."
In addition, the chargesheet also stated that a company named PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd was "specifically incorporated" to allegedly infuse funds in PPK NewsClick (owned by Purkayastha) for "stoking and sustaining recent Delhi Riots, disinformation campaign on COVID-19, stoking farmer's protest and outright terror funding of banned LWE and Pak sponsored Kashmiri terrorist organisations."
The Delhi Police also alleged in the chargesheet that NewsClick had tinkered with the map of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh and had “altered” Chinese map of Aksai Chin.
The media outlet allegedly also showed "India without Kashmir in their news bulletin," police said.
In addition, the Delhi Police also claimed that Purkayastha, conspired with Neville Roy Singham during the COVID-19 pandemic and criticised the efforts of the Indian government.
In response, NewsClick said that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the media outlet had published discussions with and comments by a range of experts.
The media outlet concluded by stating that its coverage of protests and critiques of the government’s policies was being portrayed as "anti-India."
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