NEW DELHI: From fueling flames of 2020 Delhi riots to perpetuating disinformation about Covid-19, stoking farmer protests, and even allegedly channelling funds to a banned terror group, the Delhi Police, in its 8,000-page chargesheet has accused NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha of funneling funds into his organisation for nefarious agendas.
“The company ‘PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd’ was specifically incorporated to infuse funds in PPK NewsClick owned by Prabir Purkayastha for stoking and sustaining recent Delhi riots, disinformation campaign on Covid-19, stoking farmer’s protest and outright terror funding of banned LWE (Left-wing extremist) and Pak-sponsored Kashmiri terrorist organizations,” an excerpt from the chargesheet says.
Meanwhile, the news portal NewsClick termed the allegations against it as “completely baseless”. “Only yesterday (April 30, 2024), cognisance of the offences was taken, and this is selective leaking of the chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The chargesheet is nothing but a set of opinions of the investigating officer parading as allegations,” the NewsClick said in a statement, adding they will firmly contest the allegations.
Notably, on Tuesday a city court took cognisance of the Delhi Police chargesheet filed against Purkayastha over a range of allegations, including receiving financial backing to spread pro-China propaganda.
Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur of Patiala House Court said there was sufficient evidence against the accused in the case, and directed the prosecution to supply a copy of the chargesheet to Purkayastha.
As per the chargesheet, there was an active link of Purkyastha with the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which has been declared as Terrorist Organisation under the First Schedule of UA(P) Act, 1967.
“Evidence of witnesses indicates Gautam Navlakha, Prabir Purkayastha had given money to the Maoist for violent activities by the Naxalites. Investigation has revealed that Gautam Navlakha and Prabir supported the Maoist/Naxalites and funded their activities. Funds was given to Lashkar-E-Taiba, a banned terror organisation under the First Schedule of UA(P) Act, 1967 active in J&K and responsible for many terror incidents,” the chargesheet read.
Opinions paraded as allegations: NewsClick
The news portal NewsClick termed the allegations against it as “completely baseless”, stating that the investigations by the Delhi Police and other agencies are attempts to target their independent journalism. NewsClick’s coverage of protests and critiques of the government’s policies is being portrayed as anti-India, the portal said, adding the allegations are baseless.