NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday allowed the applications by NewsClick editor Prabir Purkayastha and the news portal's Human Resources (HR) head Amit Chakraborty seeking a copy of the first information report (FIR) against them under the UAPA which is allegedly connected to a Chinese funding case.
The Delhi Police had opposed both applications, arguing the 'sensitive nature' of the case while saying police can withhold the FIR in such cases. However, despite the opposition, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur directed the cops to provide a copy of the FIR to them.
The arrest of the duo on October 3 comes after the Delhi Police searched 30 locations connected with the online news portal and its journalists in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda.
However, Purkayastha and Chakraborty said they were not provided with any FIR copy or the remand order. Their counsel Advocate Arshdeep Singh argued that it was the right to get a copy of the FIR. Both were remanded to seven days police custody in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
During the hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Srivastava termed the applications "immature", arguing that there are procedures to be followed.
"First approach the office of the Police Commissioner who will set up a committee to see the grievance. If the FIR is still not provided, then the accused can move the court, " he has submitted.
He said the accused should have approached the commissioner as per the law instead of "jumping" into the court. The APP argued that the duo did not follow the proper procedure in this case.
Citing the remand paper, the SPP said the accused undermined the unity and territorial integrity of the country, besides engaging in a discussion regarding a map of India without Kashmir and showing Arunachal Pradesh as a disputed area. They received Rs 115 crore in the guise of foreign funding, he said.
"A false narrative was propagated to discredit the efforts of the Indian Govt. to contain the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was learnt that Prabir Purkayastha conspired with a group namely People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 General Elections," the Delhi Police said in its remand application submitted before a court.
Digital devices, documents and other items have been seized for examination, as per the Delhi Police.
The New York Times in a recent report entitled ‘A Global Web of Chinese Propaganda Leads to a US Tech Mogul’ claimed that NewsClick was part of a global network funded by American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, allegedly linked with Chinese government media.
It was alleged by the police that the accused had also conspired to disrupt supplies and services essential to the life of a community in India and abet damage and destruction of property by protraction of farmers’ protest through such illegal foreign funding.