The Delhi Police FIR against NewsClick and its founder Prabir Puryakastha claims the news portal is involved in a “larger conspiracy” of illegally infusing foreign funds in India through Chinese telecom companies.
The FIR claims the “big Chinese telecom companies” incorporated thousands of shell companies in India which are in violation of PMLA/FEMA and these further infused funds in India, the Indian Express reported.
NewsClick’s Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakraborty were arrested on Wednesday after the Special Cell conducted raids at the homes of 40-plus journalists across Delhi-NCR and Mumbai. Police said this was in connection with an FIR lodged on August 17 this year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
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The FIR also names US tech millionaire Neville Roy Singham, activist Gautam Navlakha, Joseph Raj, Anoop Chakraborty (Amit’s brother), Urmilesh, Teesta Setalvad and Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.
“Further Shri Prabir Purkayastha, Shri Neville Roy Singham, Ms Geeta Hariharan, Shri Gautam Bhatia (key person) conspired to create a Legal Community Network in India to campaign for and put up spirited defense of legal cases against aforementioned Chinese telecom companies in return for benefits by these Chinese companies,” states the FIR.
Police have alleged foreign funds were fraudulently infused by Singham, who was an “active member of the Propaganda Department of Communist Party of China”.
Also Read: Delhi Police raids NewsClick journalists’ homes, other locations amid China funding row
In the FIR, it is mentioned that Singham used a complex web of several entities, “including M/s Worldwide Media Holdings (incorporated by Mr. Jason Pfetcher, a close associate of Neville Roy Singham, People Support foundation (Jodie Evans, wife of Neville Roy Singham being director), Justice and Education Fund, M/s GSPAN LLC (owned by Shri Neville Roy Singham), The Tricontinental Ltd. Inc. U.S.A., Centro Popular De Midas, Brazil.”
The police also accused the news portal of publishing “paid news” after an infusion of large amounts. This news criticised the policies of the Indian government and promoted Chinese policies and criticised Indian projects, it is alleged.
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“In furtherance of this conspiracy to disrupt the sovereignty of India and to cause disaffection against India, large amounts of funds were routed from China in circuitous and camouflaged manner and paid news were intentionally peddled criticising domestic policies, development projects of India and promoting, projecting and defending policies and programmes of Chinese government,” reads the FIR.