FCRA violations case: CBI searches at residence of NewsClick founder

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR into the alleged FCRA violations by news portal NewsClick and carried out raids at two locations on October 11, officials said. 
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR into the alleged FCRA violations by news portal NewsClick and carried out raids at two locations on October 11, officials said. A team of agency officials searched the residence and office of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, who was recently arrested by the Delhi Police in a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), they said. The portal’s HR head Amir Chakraborty was also arrested.

It is alleged that the portal received foreign funds in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) case, they said.

The Patiala House Court on October 10 sent Mr. Purkayastha, Mr. Chakraborty, to ten days of judicial custody in the UAPA case registered against them by the Delhi Police.

Mr. Purkayastha and Mr. Chakraborty were arrested in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations the portal received money for pro-China propaganda, and were sent to seven days of police remand, officials said on October 4. Police searched for more than 30 locations, questioned several journalists in connection with the case and arrested Mr. Purkayastha and Mr. Chakraborty.

This came after the Delhi police submitted in the court that although the two need not be remanded at this stage of the investigation they should be sent to Judicial custody to prevent them from hampering the investigation in any manner.

Police had on August 17 registered a case under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18 and 22 of the anti-terror UAPA pertaining to unlawful activities, raising of funds for a terrorist act, threatening witness and Sections 153 A and 120 B of the IPC (promoting religious enmity between groups on grounds of religion and criminal conspiracy respectively).

The ED had accused the company of money laundering, claiming that the portal received ₹77 crore as foreign remittance between the years 2018-21.

(With inputs from agencies)