The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has assumed control of the inquiry into alleged foreign funding violations by the NewsClick website, according to insider reports. This development follows the recent arrest of NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on October 3, invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, an anti-terror law. The arrest came shortly after a New York Times investigation suggested that the news portal had received funding from a network associated with promoting Chinese propaganda.
Amit Chakravarty, the Head of HR at NewsClick, was also apprehended as part of this operation. These arrests followed extensive searches at the residences of journalists affiliated with NewsClick in the Delhi-NCR region and Mumbai.
Previously, the Enforcement Directorate had initiated a case against NewsClick and conducted an investigation into its financial sources. The central agency had additionally seized certain assets linked to the news portal. The case is rooted in alleged violations pertaining to foreign funding and its subsequent utilization, with information for the new FIR being provided by the Enforcement Directorate.
The Enforcement Directorate had previously alleged that NewsClick received approximately ₹38 crore from entities associated with China, and the utilization of this sum has come under intense scrutiny. In August, the New York Times published an investigation implicating NewsClick as one of the organizations funded by a network connected to US millionaire Neville Roy Singham, which has been accused of promoting Chinese propaganda.