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Prabir Purkayastha, the founder of NewsClick, was arrested under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The arrest came in the wake of a New York Times investigation that alleged the news portal had received funding from a network pushing Chinese propaganda.
Arrests and office closure at NewsClick
Today, the Human Resources Head of NewsClick, Amit Chakravarty, was taken into custody. Earlier in the day, Prabir Purkayastha was brought in for questioning at the Delhi Police Special Cell office, and concurrently, the police sealed the office of NewsClick.
"Regarding the search, seizure and detentions carried out today in connection with a UAPA case registered with Special Cell, so far two accused, Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty have been arrested. A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at the premises, and nine female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay,” the police said.
The portal's founder was previously summoned to the Delhi Police Special Cell office for interrogation in relation to the case filed under anti-terror legislation, stemming from accusations that the portal received finances for promoting pro-China content.
The raids were conducted at more than 30 locations in connection with a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of the IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 120B (criminal conspiracy). Meanwhile, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, speaking to reporters in Bhubaneswar, asserted that if action had been taken, there must have been evidence or a complaint.
Expressing concerns over the incident, the Editors Guild of India issued a statement expressing deep apprehension about the raids at the homes of senior journalists early in the morning. Their laptops, mobile phones, and other devices were seized, and senior journalists were taken into custody by the Delhi Police for questioning.
Who is NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha?
Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, has been making headlines recently due to his arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The arrest followed a New York Times investigation that alleged NewsClick had received funding from a network pushing Chinese propaganda.
Born on November 1, 1949, Purkayastha is a renowned leftist activist, journalist, and engineer. He has been an influential figure in the news industry and is known for his commitment to science and the free software movement4.
Before founding NewsClick, Purkayastha had a diverse career. He was an award-winning photographer who was born in Central India in 1952. After graduating from the University of Delhi, he worked in Thailand as a journalist. He returned to India in 1980 and became one of the country’s leading advertising practitioners in agency management and creative campaigns.
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