NewsClick raids: police probing ‘terror case that has Chinese links’
The Hindu
Police probe terror case with Chinese links in NewsClick case; 46 suspects questioned, phones, laptops seized. ED accuses news portal of money laundering; court allows accused to meet lawyer, hears application for FIR copy. Police questioned suspects on association with NewsClick, money paid, reportage, protests covered, employee details.
A day after the Delhi Police arrested Prabir Purkayastha, founder and Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, and Amit Chakraborty, Human Resources head of the news portal, a government source told The Hindu that the police were investigating a “terror case that has Chinese links.”
The foreign remittances received by the news portal are already being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since 2021.
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The source said that the fresh terror case registered by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police was being investigated by multiple agencies.
NewsClick, whose office was sealed by the police a day ago, said in a statement on Wednesday that it does not publish any news or information at the behest of any Chinese entity or authority, directly or indirectly. “NewsClick does not propagate Chinese propaganda on its website,” the news portal said.
Another official said they were probing if the foreign funds were being used for “information warfare.”
The portal said all funding had been through the appropriate banking channels and had been reported to the relevant authorities as required by law, as substantiated by the Reserve Bank of India in proceedings before the High Court of Delhi.