Delhi High Court on Friday (October 13) dismissed the petitions moved by NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and its HR head Amit Chakraborty challenging their arrest and remand under the anti-terror law UAPA registered by Delhi Police's Special Cell.
Dismissing their plea challenging the police action, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said, "The court does not find merit in both petitions."
Purkayastha and Chakravarty, who were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3, had moved the high court last week challenging their arrest and subsequent police custody, and sought immediate release as interim relief.
On October 10, the trial court sent them to judicial custody for ten days.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela had reserved the order on October 9 on pleas filed by the portal’s founder and its human resources department head Amit Chakravarty challenging their arrest and also the subsequent 7-day police remand.
Purkayastha who was arrested for allegedly receiving money to spread pro-China propaganda submitted in the High Court on October 9 that allegations against him were “false” and “bogus” and “not a penny has come from China”.
The investigation agency claimed that NewsClick received Rs 75 crore from a person in China to destabilise the country.
What does police FIR say?
According to the FIR, a large amount of funds to the news portal came from China to "disrupt the sovereignty of India" and cause disaffection against the country.
It also alleged Purkayastha conspired with a group -- People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) -- to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
A raid was conducted on October 3 at 88 locations in Delhi and seven in other states on the suspects named in the FIR and those that surfaced in the analysis of data, the police said.
A total of 46 journalists and contributors to NewsClick were questioned on Tuesday and their mobile phones and other electronic gadgets seized. NewsClick's office in Delhi was also sealed.
(With inputs from agencies)
