NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha, HR head sent to 7-day police remand

livemint.com:

NewsClick site and its journalists on 17 August, weeks after a New York Times report alleged that the NewsClick website had received funds from an American millionaire who, the Times wrote, had funded the spread of “Chinese propaganda." Delhi Police on Tuesday searched 30 locations connected with online news portal NewsClick and its journalists in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that it received money for pro-China propaganda and later in the day sealed its office. Police said the Special Cell searches began early in the morning and were concentrated in the Delhi-NCR region.

Founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha was taken to the NewsClick south Delhi office where a forensic team was present. The Delhi Police also sealed the office of NewsClick in connection with its probe.

Among those questioned were journalists Urmilesh, Aunindyo Chakravarty, Abhisar Sharma, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta as well as historian Sohail Hashmi and D Raghunandan of the Centre for Technology & Development. Police posed a list of 25 questions on various issues, including their foreign travels, protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Shaheen Bagh as well as the farmers' agitation, sources said.

“Regarding the search, seizure and detentions carried out today in connection with a UAPA case registered with Special Cell, so far, two accused, Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty have been arrested." Delhi Police informed. "A total of 37 male suspects have been questioned at premises, 9 female suspects have been questioned at their respective places of stay and digital devices, documents etc.

have been seized or collected for examination", Delhi Police added. The Enforcement Directorate had earlier