Advertisement
New Delhi: On Wednesday, A Delhi court extended the judicial custody of NewsClick founder-editor Prabir Purkayastha and HR chief Amit Chakraborty for eight days. Both were produced before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur on Wednesday. The court extended his judicial custody till November 2. The two were arrested recently in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA following allegations that the news portal NewsClick received huge money for pro-China propaganda.
Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested Purkayastha and Chakraborty on October 3. A day after his arrest, Patiala House Court Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hardeep Kaur sent him to seven-day police custody on October 4. Both again knocked on the door of the High Court, but did not get relief. Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur allowed the Delhi Police application, which sought nine days of further custodial remand of Prabir Purkayastha and Amit Chakravarty.
After this, both reached the Supreme Court. On October 19, the apex court issued a notice to the Delhi Police on the petitions. The apex court will now hear the matter on October 30. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who represented Purkayastha, had earlier argued before the High Court that “all the facts are false and a single penny did not come from China”.
In a statement regarding the searches, seizures and detentions carried out by the Special Cell on October 3, the Delhi Police said that a total of 37 male and nine female suspects were interrogated in the office premises. The suspects were interrogated at their residences.
Police said digital devices, documents were seized. The Special Cell had registered an FIR against NewsClick on August 17 under various sections of the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code in connection with the case. According to the Delhi Police plea, their custodial interrogation was required to confront them with some protected witnesses, some devices that were examined and the data which was extracted.
