Delhi Police Raids Residences Of Seven Journalists In Case Related To NewsClick's Chinese Funding

The Delhi Police Special Cell carried out raids at the residences of seven journalists in the city on Tuesday (3 October) morning in a case of NewsClick receiving funding from China.

Laptops and mobile phones were confiscated during the operation. The Special Cell has deployed multiple teams to conduct searches at 35 locations, including the homes of these journalists, who have been requested to participate in the ongoing investigation.

The Delhi Police invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Although no arrests have occurred thus far, NDTV sources indicate that some journalists have been brought in for questioning.

Previously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had initiated a case against NewsClick, scrutinising its financial transactions. This central agency had also seized assets linked to the news portal.

It remains unclear whether the Delhi Police has registered a new case prompting today's searches. Police sources have hinted at the release of more information regarding the searches at a later time.

In August, a New York Times investigation implicated NewsClick as one of the organisations funded by a network associated with US millionaire Neville Roy Singham, allegedly promoting Chinese propaganda.

Back in 2021, the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police had filed a case against NewsClick, bringing the news portal's funding sources under scrutiny.

The subsequent ED case was a continuation of these proceedings. The agency had discovered that the promoters of NewsClick had received approximately Rs 38 crores from entities allegedly linked to the Communist Party of China. 

The Delhi High Court granted protection from arrest to the promoters of NewsClick, and the matter is currently sub judice.

Income Tax officers had also searched the news portal's offices in 2021 in connection to an alleged tax evasion case.