Delhi Police raids residence of NewsClick journalists under UAPA amid China funding row; Phones, laptops seized

NewsBharati    03-Oct-2023 10:52:28 AM
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New Delhi, Oct 3: In a significant development, the Delhi Police had raided several locations including journalists in connection with the online portal NewsClick, which had reportedly received several crores in funding from China.
 
Abhishar Sharma china funding row
 
Among the locations raided by the Delhi Police in connection with the Newsclick scandal was that of television journalist turned YouTuber Abhisar Sharma. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to inform that the Delhi Police had landed at his residence and was confiscating his laptop and phone.
 
 
Notably, a fresh case has been registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell against the news portal under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The organisation is under the scanner of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for illicit foreign funding since the year 2021 – when Abhisar Sharma was working for the portal as well.
 
Also Read: Chinese Dalal 'Newsclick' EXPOSED! NYT report reveals facts, leaves Congress red-faced  

Apart from Sharma, several individuals have been raided – all of them connected to NewsClick. “Police raids Sanjay Rajoura, Bhasha Singh, Urmilesh, Prabir Purkayastha, Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakraborty and Sohail Hashmi’s places this morning. Phones and laptops taken. Some of them taken to police station. All of them associated with Newsclick”, one journalist tweeted.
 

ED raids NewsClick in 2021

 
The agency, in February 2021, raided the premises of NewsClick and the residences of its editors in connection with a case of alleged money laundering and conducted search and seizure operations based on strong evidence of money laundering. According to the sources in ED, NewsClick had received Rs 10 crores under Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from an American company. ED said the funds are routed to urban naxal UAPA accused Gautam Navlakha and one CPM office bearer too.
 

NewsClick and its China link

 
After the ED investigation in 2021, an investigation by the New York Times in August 2023 has made shocking revelations about the organisations having ties to China and Chinese propaganda. A millionaire named Neville Roy Singham, who holds strong ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was accused of funding several news publications across the world (including India) to peddle Chinese propaganda.
 
The article read, "The authorities in India raided a news organization tied to Mr Singham during a crackdown on the press, accusing it of having ties to the Chinese government but offering no proof… In New Delhi, corporate filings show, Mr. Singham’s network financed a news site, NewsClick, that sprinkled its coverage with Chinese government talking points."