The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a plea in the Delhi High Court over the investigation related to the news portal NewsClick. The central probe agency sought to vacate its order that granted interim protection from coercive action to an online news portal and its editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha.
The Bench of Justice Saurabh Banerjee is scheduled to hear the matter on August 11.
NewsClick is again in the spotlight after a recent New York Times report claimed that the news portal was part of a global network that received funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government media machine.
Notably, on July 29, 2021, the High Court extended interim protection to the portal, which was represented by its parent company PPK NewsClick Studio Pvt. Ltd. and Purkayastha, until the subsequent scheduled date of the hearing.
Probe revealed money laundering offence
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed the court that it has discovered supplementary evidence in the course of this inquiry, revealing the perpetration of money laundering offenses. The pertinent details regarding this matter will be submitted to the court in a sealed envelope, considering it is still an active investigation.
The ED further mentioned that it had conveyed the existence of this newly discovered evidence to the predicate agency (Delhi Police), which had initiated the FIR that formed the basis for the criminal charges against the accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The premises of NewsClick and Purkayastha were raided by the ED in September 2021. Last year, ED attached a flat, worth Rs 4.52 crore, located in south Delhi's Saket area linked to Purkayastha apart from fixed deposits worth Rs 41 lakh as part of this investigation.
(With PTI inputs)
