NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has issued fresh summons to Shanghai-based American millionaire Neville Roy Singham in connection with the ongoing investigation into the money-laundering case against news portal NewsClick.
According to sources, Singham has been asked to join the investigation and the summons was sent last week through letter rogatory route to China. The ED is probing how Singham’s media company was promoting Chinese propaganda in India and how foreign funds to the tune of `86 crore were fraudulently infused into the company that runs the portal.
Notably, the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha and one more person last month for allegedly being involved in continuous unlawful activities, undermining India’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The police had alleged that since April 2018, NewsClick received fraudulent funds in crores of rupees through illegal means, infused by Neville Roy Singham, a resident of Shanghai and allegedly an active member of the Propaganda department of the Communist Party of China.
According to the FIR registered by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on August 17 this year, large amount of funds were routed from China in a circuitous and camouflaged manner. The FIR said paid news were intentionally peddled to criticise domestic policies and development projects of India and promote, project and defend policies and programmes of the Chinese government. The case registered by the Delhi Police was based on a reference sent by the Enforcement directorate following its own probe last year.