NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head Amit Chakraborty sent to nine-day police remand

Delhi's Patiala House Court on Wednesday sent News founder Prabir Purkayastha and HR head Amit Chakraborty to 9-day police remand.

Delhi police's special cell sought custody of both in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case registered following allegations of the portal receiving money for pro-China propaganda.

Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava for Delhi Police informed the court of Additional Sessions Judge Harpreet Kaur that the police wanted to confront them with some  witnesses and also some devices were examined and the data thus extracted. We need to confront them with the same, he said.

Advocate Arshdeep Singh for Purkayastha opposed remand saying, “What is there new they have got? FIR is of August, today we are in October so far, Delhi Police are just unearthing the conspiracy?”

Both Purkayastha and Chakraborty were in judicial custody which ended today, October 25.

Earlier on October 13, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the News founder's plea challenging arrest by the Delhi police and upheld the trial court's order which had remanded Purkayastha and Chakraborty to police custody.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty were arrested by the Delhi Police's Special Cell on October 3. 

Both the accused were arrested in a case lodged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), anti-terror law allegations that the news portal received to spread the Chinese propaganda. 

According to ANI, the Delhi Police's Special Cell in its FIR against Purkayastha stated that People's Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by PPK News Studio Pvt. Ltd. has been used for intentionally peddling false narratives through paid news in lieu of crores of rupees of illegally routed foreign funds as part of a conspiracy.

Delhi Police FIR further stated that foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India, ANI reported. 

Foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and Foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India, stated in FIR, ANI said.