NEW DELHI: In simultaneous pre-dawn raids across various cities, the Delhi Police Special Cell on Tuesday swooped down at multiple locations linked to news website NewsClick, and questioned senior journalists for hours in a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
After more than 12 hours, around 8.30 pm, Prabir Purkayastha, the founder of the website, and Amit Chakravarty, its HR head, were arrested under the UAPA. A total of 37 suspects, including nine women, were questioned.
READ MORE | Newsclick raid: It’s a fishing expedition, says Sohail Hashmi
The raids began at 5 a.m. at more than 35 locations in Delhi and its adjoining areas. Sleuths picked up several journalists from their residences in Delhi-NCR and brought them to the Special Cell office located at Lodhi Colony. Other journalists questioned included Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakraborty, Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, satirist Sanjay Rajoura, cartoonist Irfan, and historian Sohail Hashmi. The r
esidences of the staffers as well as contributors and former employees of the portal were also raided.
The police also sealed the office of the news portal in south Delhi seized electronic gadgets such as mobile phones and laptops of the journalists, and sent them for forensic analysis. On August 5, The New York Times published a report titled
‘A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a US Tech Mogul’, which claimed that NewsClick was part of a network that received funding from American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who allegedly works closely with the Chinese government. NewsClick rubbished the allegations, saying they were “unfounded and without basis in fact or law”. I&B minister Anurag Thakur said: “If anyone has committed anything wrong, search agencies are free to carry out investigations against them.”
READ MORE | 'NewsClick raids attempt to muzzle media': Sitaram Yechury after Delhi police lands at his residence
Pre-dawn swoop
2 AM Meeting of senior officials of Special Cell; Around 500 cops briefed about operation
5-5.30 am Police start simultaneous raids at multiple locations in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad. Journalists questioned, their devices seized
8 am Journalists taken to the office of Special Cell at Lodhi Colony
11 am A battery of lawyers of different journalists gather outside Special Cell office; denied entry
3.45 pm Journalists allowed to leave the premises
8.30 pm Founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakravarty arrested
READ MORE | Oppn slams raids on NewsClick portal; govt says agencies work as per law
