NewsClick discredited govt’s COVID-19 response, infused foreign funds illegally: FIR
The Delhi Police’s Special Cell in its FIR has alleged that NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, American businessman Neville Roy Singham, historian Vijay Parshad, and others actively propagated false narratives to discredit the efforts of the Indian government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Moreover, they have acted against the national interest by promoting a misleading and false narrative about the domestic pharmaceutical industry and the policies and development initiatives of the democratically elected Indian government in cohorts with the anti-national forces,” read the FIR, accessed by IANS.
The FIR further stated that it is learnt that 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 key individuals of this group who were involved in this conspiracy are Battini Rao (Convenor, PADS), Dilip Simeon, Deepak Dhoulakia, Harsh Kapoor, Jamal Kidwai, Kiran Shaheen, Sanjay Kumar, Asit Das, etc,” the FIR read.
A Delhi court on Wednesday sent NewsClick founder and editor Prabir Purkayastha, and HR head Amit Chakravarty to seven-day police custody under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
On August 17, the Special Cell of the Delhi Police registered a case alleging that foreign funds amounting to crores of rupees had been illegally funneled into India by both Indian and foreign entities with the intent to disrupt India’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security.
The case has reportedly been registered under various Sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (Terrorist Act), Section 17 (raising funds for terrorist acts), Section 18 (Conspiracy), and Section 22 C (Offences by Companies) of the UAPA and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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