The Special Cell of Delhi Police lodged its inaugural chargesheet against news portal Newsclick. The charges were filed under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The case stemmed from allegations suggesting that the news portal had received substantial funds for disseminating pro-China propaganda.

The chargesheet, comprising nearly 8000 pages along with annexures, has been submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Dr. Hardeep Kaur at the Patiala House Court.

Special Public Prosecutors Advocate Akhand Pratap Singh and Suraj Rathi informed the court that the chargesheet identified Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, and PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd as defendants.

During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutors Akhand Pratap Singh and Suraj Rathi requested the court to defer cognizance, citing that sanctions under section 45 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for prosecution are pending. They mentioned that these sanctions would be included in a supplementary chargesheet to be filed soon.

Taking note of the submissions, the court scheduled arguments on the cognizance point for April 16, 2024.

Recently, Delhi's Patiala House Court granted extensions to the Delhi Police for filing the chargesheet. Initially, the police received a two-month extension, followed by an additional 20 days in February this year.

Prabir Purkayastha and Newsclick are the main accused in the case, while Amit Chakraborty has been designated as an approver.

Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, and Amit Chakravarty, the head of its human resource department, were apprehended on October 3, 2023, under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including sections 13, 16, 17, 18, and 22, along with sections 153A and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Delhi Police FIR alleges that Indian and foreign entities hostile to India have illegally injected substantial foreign funds into the country. Their purported aim is to disrupt India's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity, while fomenting disaffection against the nation.

According to the Special Cell's FIR, the People's Dispatch Portal, operated by M/S PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt. Ltd., has allegedly been utilised to disseminate false narratives through paid news. These narratives are purportedly spread in exchange for significant sums of illegally channelled foreign funds, as part of a larger conspiracy.

Image source: Indian Express