Delhi Police Special Cell on Tuesday raided the houses of journalists and employees linked to NewsClick amid the news portal’s alleged Chinese links.
During the raid, the Special Cell of Delhi Police seized electronic evidence including laptops, mobile phones and took data dumps of hard disks.
The searches by the Delhi Police are based on the input shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), indicating unlawful activities by the suspects.
An investigation by ED had revealed fraudulent infusion of foreign fund of Rs 38.05 crore during a short span of three years.
The scrutiny of the evidence by the ED revealed questionable infusion of foreign inward remittance of Rs 9.59 crore by way of FDI and Rs 28.46 crore by way of export of services.
The funds so received were distributed to several controversial journalists, including Gautam Navlakha and associates of Teestha Setalvad.
Details regarding China link were also shared by the ED with Delhi Police.
According to a government source, “It is about sovereignty of India and not about freedom of speech. An investigation by The New York Times had also reported that Indian news portal NewsClick is among organisations funded by a network tied to US millionaire Neville Roy Singham for pushing Chinese propaganda.”
Calling News Click funding push by China “an assault on the sovereignty of India”, the source added, “The manner of routing of funds and transfer clearly points out to electronic evidences. Large sum of money has been transferred electronically and have been routed further into the system. Payouts have been made to so-called journalist to spread Chinese propaganda. At this stage it is important to secure the evidence and to go to the root of the matter.”
Union Minister Anurag Thakur reacted to Delhi Police raid on NewsClick and said probe agencies are free to carry out investigations.
BACKGROUND
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a case against the news portal, alleging that NewsClick received foreign funding in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
The agency had also alleged that the money was used for anti-national activities.
A New York Times report claimed that the outlet was part of a global network that received funding from American billionaire, Neville Roy Singham, to “spread Chinese propaganda”.
ED indicated that Neville Roy Singham, who stays in China, gave NewClick Rs 38 crore illegally to peddle pro-China information in India.
Newsclick Director Prabir Purkayastha and his associate journalists are also accused of writing and publishing paid news on their website in exchange for periodical funds given by Singham to PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd.