Judicial Custody Of NewsClick Founder, HR Head Extended By 21 Days

A Delhi court has extended the judicial custody of NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakraborty by 21 days.

The duo was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell on 3 October on charges of allegedly receiving illegal funding from China, routed through the United States.

The arrest followed day-long searches at over 50 locations connected to the news portal, its employees, and contributors across the National Capital Region and Mumbai.

The police had questioned 46 suspects and seized digital devices during the searches, along with the sealing of NewsClick's office in Delhi.

The FIR outlined allegations against Purkayastha, including attempts to depict Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as "not parts of India," undermining the government's COVID-19 efforts, funding the farmers' agitation, and defending legal cases against Chinese telecom companies.

The remand application, accessed by Indian Express, cited "secret inputs" of "foreign funds in crores" being illegally infused in India by entities with intentions to disrupt the country's sovereignty.

The accused were allegedly in direct contact, discussing plans to create a new map of India without Kashmir and portraying Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed area.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty had previously been sent to nine-day police custody in late October, with new witnesses and devices emerging, necessitating further confrontation with the accused.

As the judicial proceedings unfold, the case highlights the complexities of foreign funding allegations and their potential impact on media entities.