NewsClick FIR Details: “Foreign Funds Infused Illegally, Intent To Disturb”

According to the paper, American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who is thought to have deep ties to the Chinese government’s media apparatus, “foreign funds (were) fraudulently infused.”

According to a copy of the FIR obtained by NDTV this morning, NewsClick, the news website under investigation for allegedly having connections to companies related to China and using those connections to broadcast Chinese propaganda, has been charged with conspiring to “disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India”.

The FIR charges journalists and civil society activists, as well as NewsClick, the website’s creator Prabir Purkayastha, and Amit Chakravarty, the head of human resources, of attempting to “cause disaffection against India” and “threaten the unity, integrity, (and) security” of the nation.

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“…secret inputs have been received indicating that Indian and foreign entities hostile to India have unlawfully infused foreign cash totaling crores… The FIR claims that since April 2018, M/s PPK NewsCLick Studio Pvt Ltd has illegally obtained such fraudulent funds in the crores from M/s Worldwide Media Holdings LLC and others over a brief period of five years.

According to the paper, American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, who is thought to have deep ties to the Chinese government’s media apparatus, “foreign funds (were) fraudulently infused.” According to the FIR, the money was “routed from China in a convoluted and covert manner and paid news were deliberately… criticizing domestic policies, development projects.”

The New York Times reported on Mr. Singham, who is currently based in Shanghai, China, and claimed he has a global financial network backing Chinese propaganda.

The FIR links NewsClick, Mr. Purkayastha, and others to a number of issues, including the 2020/21 farmers protest and other issues for which the government received criticism from the opposition and social activists. It also accuses them of working to “undermine the unity and territorial integrity of India.”

Additionally, the accused “actively propagated false narratives to discredit efforts of the Indian government to contain COVID-19 pandemic,” “conspiracy to peddle a narrative… that Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are disputed territories,” and “sabotaged the 2019 election that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP won with a resounding majority.”

The FIR then goes on to accuse “big Chinese telecom companies” like Xiaomi of “illegally infusing foreign funds” into India.

NewsClick Disputes Accusations

While it has been searched since 2021, no money laundering complaint has yet been made, according to NewsClick, which vehemently refutes all of these allegations. It claimed that the Income Tax Department, the Economic Offenses Wing of the Delhi Police, and the Enforcement Directorate had all conducted raids.

“Yet, in the last two plus years, the Enforcement Directorate has not been able to file a complaint accusing NewsClick of money laundering,” the website stated in a statement after the raids on Tuesday.

On NewsClick FIR Copies, Delhi Court

A Delhi court granted copies of the FIR to Mr. Purkayastha and Mr. Chakravartya on Thursday. The Delhi Police had objected to the plea, stating that “We have already provided grounds for arrest.”

Mr Purkayastha was apprehended late Tuesday night, hours after Delhi Police raided the offices of NewsClick and the homes of numerous journalists linked with the website. The Delhi office of NewsClick has been sealed.

Arguments Against NewsClick

On August 17, a complaint was filed against NewsClick and Mr Purkayastha. Today’s FIR includes allegations under five sections of the anti-terrorism law, UAPA, and two sections of the Indian Penal Code. Terrorist actions, terror funding, and criminal conspiracy have all been accused against the media organization. It is also accused of creating hatred between two groups.

The case is predicated on the alleged 38 crore in foreign funds received by the website.