Delhi High Court supports detention of NewsClick Editor and HR head by police.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty Arrested for Alleged Chinese Propaganda

Purkayastha and Chakraborty were arrested following a series of raids that were conducted in the wake of allegations made in a New York Times article that NewsClick was being paid to boost Chinese propaganda.

The arrest was made on October 3 after several hours of questioning. They were remanded to seven days police custody early morning on October 4.

Accused Illegally Received Foreign Funds

As per the FIR, the accused illegally received crores of rupees in foreign funds and deployed the same with an intention to disrupt the sovereignty, unity, and security of India.

Secret inputs suggest that substantial foreign funds were illegally funneled into India by both Indian and foreign entities. These funds, amounting to crores of rupees, were received by Newsclick through illegal means over a span of five years.

The funds were fraudulently infused by Neville Roy Singham, allegedly an active member of the Communist Party of China’s propaganda department, through a complex network of entities.

Legal Challenge and Denial of Allegations

Purkayastha and Chakraborty moved the High Court challenging their arrest, remand, and the FIR lodged against them in a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

They argued that their arrest and remand were illegal since they were not supplied with grounds of arrest, which they claimed violated a recent Supreme Court judgment in the M3M case.

Additionally, they denied allegations of receiving any funds from China as claimed by the Delhi Police.

Delhi Police Claims Compromise to National Security

The Delhi Police countered the accusations by stating that the accused wanted to compromise national security and integrity.

They also claimed that the judgment in the M3M case would not apply in this instance as it was delivered on the same day as the arrest, and they were not aware of it at the time.

Summary:

• Purkayastha and Chakraborty were arrested after allegations of being paid to boost Chinese propaganda surfaced.
• Accused received crores of rupees in foreign funds to disrupt India’s sovereignty and security.
• The funds were allegedly infused by a member of the Communist Party of China’s propaganda department.
• Purkayastha and Chakraborty challenged their arrest and denied receiving any funds from China.
• Delhi Police claimed the accused posed a threat to national security.