NewsClick case: The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to American millionaire Neville Roy Singham for questioning in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to online news portal NewsClick, news agency PTI official sources said Thursday.
The accused businessman, who is alleged to be involved in disseminating Chinese propaganda in India, is currently reported to be residing in Shanghai, China. The summons have been sent to Singham on his email id and through the Chinese government channels after the ED routed them through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Fresh summons under PMLA to record statement
The fresh summons have been under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The sources said a fresh notice was issued to him after the agency got issued Letters Rogatory (LR) from a local court seeking to record his statement.
This is believed to be the second summons issued to Singham by the ED, with the first one being issued last year after the investigation was initiated in 2021.
Who is Neville Roy Singham?
Singham is an American businessman and social activist. He is the founder and former chairman of ThoughtWorks, an IT consulting company that provides custom software, software tools, and consulting services.
His name first surfaced in a report by The New York Times, which alleged that the US millionaire was involved in spreading Chinese propaganda worldwide. The Delhi Police, following this news piece and some "evidence" shared by ED, had also filed an FIR against him and the founders of NewsClick after this news report came to light.
According to The New York Times report, NewsClick was identified as part of a global network that received funding from Singham. He is alleged to work closely with the Chinese government's media machine.
The New York Times reported that Neville Roy Singham is the son of Archibald Wickeramaraja Singham, a Sri Lankan political scientist and historian who was a professor of political science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
According to media reports, Singham is believed to have a financial network supporting Chinese propaganda that spans the globe, from Chicago to Shanghai. He also financed a news website in India that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points, according to a New York Times report. The site was later raided by Delhi Police.
The New York Times report alleged that Neville Roy Singham is linked to several American charities and non-profit groups that are working to promote his agenda. These propaganda groups are funded through American non-profits that have received at least $275 million in donations.
Delhi Police arrest NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha
Last month, the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and head of human resources, Amit Chakravorty, alleging that the accused persons were part of a conspiracy to disrupt India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cause disaffection and threaten the country’s unity and integrity.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also raided the office premises of NewsClick after registering a case on October 7 to probe the violation of foreign funding law by the news portal.
(With PTI inputs)
