November 05, 2024 20:56 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy booked for threatening cop probing into mining case | Supreme Court upholds validity of Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Act | Not all private properties are community resources that govt can take over: Supreme Court | Pakistan's Lahore has become world's most polluted city with an AQI of 1900 on Sunday | Indian Army 'successfully completes' patrolling to a key point in Ladakh's Depsang region
Newsclick founder Prabir Purkayastha arrested in anti-terror case after raids linked to Chinese funding
Prabir Purkayastha
Videograb of Prabir Purkayastha speaking at an even of NewsClick

Newsclick founder Prabir Purkayastha arrested in anti-terror case after raids linked to Chinese funding

| @indiablooms | 04 Oct 2023, 12:14 am

New Delhi: Journalist and NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha has been arrested under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, days after a report published in the New York Times alleged that the news portal had received funding from a network pushing Chinese propaganda.

HR head of the news portal, Amit Chakravarty, has also been arrested.

Earlier in the day, searches at the homes of journalists linked with NewsClick were carried out at 20-odd locations across Delhi-NCR and Mumbai.

The raids prompted protests from the opposition, with some calling it a "crackdown on press freedom".

According to the Delhi Police, NewsClick allegedly received nearly Rs. 38 crore from entities with alleged links to China, and the funds were used to influence pro-China content on the website.

Hours after the raids, the Editors Guild of India, the non-profit organisation of journalists, urged the Centre to follow due process, and not make draconian criminal laws "as tools for press intimidation".

"EGI is concerned that these raids are yet another attempt to muzzle the media. While we recognise that the law must take its course if actual offences are involved, the due process has to be followed. The investigation of specific offences must not create a general atmosphere of intimidation under the shadow of draconian laws, or impinge on the freedom of expression and the raising of dissenting and critical voices," the Editors Guild said in a statement.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.