NewsClick cites RBI and failures of ED, income tax dept and Delhi Police
In a statement released today, NewsClick said RBI had corroborated its transactions, the ED failed to file any money laundering case and the IT dept failed to defend its actions in court for 2 years
A day after the special cell of Delhi Police sealed its office and arrested its founding editor Prabir Purkayastha and its head of human resources Amit Chakraborty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, NewsClick released a statement refuting all charges against it.
The statement condemns the police action against its employees and journalists and refers to 'actions of a government that refuses to respect journalistic independence, and treats criticism as sedition or “anti-national” propaganda'.
The statement also notes that the organisation or any individuals raided yesterday have not been provided with a copy of the FIR or informed about the exact particulars of the offences allegedly committed by them.
Electronic devices, it says, were seized from the NewsClick office premises and homes of employees, without any adherence to due process such as the provision of seizure memos, hash values of the seized data or even copies of the data.
'What we have been able to gather is that NewsClick stands accused of offences under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), for purportedly carrying Chinese propaganda on its website,' reads the statement, released on 4 October.
NewsClick, the statement claims, has been targeted by a series of actions by various agencies of the Government of India since 2021. It says:
Yet, in the last two plus years, the Enforcement Directorate has not been able to file a complaint accusing NewsClick of money laundering. The Economic Offences wing of the Delhi Police has not been able to file a charge sheet against NewsClick for offences under the Indian Penal Code.NewsClick statement released 4 October 2023
All funding received by NewsClick, the statement adds, has been through appropriate banking channels, which have been reported to the relevant authorities as required by law and as substantiated by the Reserve Bank of India in proceedings before the High Court of Delhi.
The full statement can be read here:
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