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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Bail can't be withheld as punishment': High Court grants relief to NewsClick founder
The right to personal liberty is 'not a casual right which can be tampered with without serious considerations', the Delhi High Court said on Wednesday as it granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha in two cases. The bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna granted protection from arrest to Purkayastha in the two cases from 2020 — a money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed in September 2020, and another case registered by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), alleging violation of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms by NewsClick, in August 2020. Emphasising that 'bail cannot be withheld as a punishment', Justice Krishna referred to the jurisprudence laid down by the Supreme Court. 'Personal liberty is a precious Constitutional value and cannot be tampered with casually. The objective behind depriving an individual of his personal liberty must be founded on serious considerations. An accused, as a presumed innocent person, is entitled to present his case and establish his innocence,' the order underlined. While granting anticipatory bail in the EOW case, the court took into account that the probe in the case is still ongoing even as the offence was lodged in 2020. The HC also considered that Purkayastha had joined the probe whenever he was summoned and that the nature of evidence in the case is documentary in nature, leaving little likelihood of tampering of evidence. It also reasoned that he is 75, and there is little likelihood of him absconding. In the ED case, the High Court took into account that the probe in the predicate offence registered by the EOW remains pending till date and that there is also nothing on record to suggest that he had been called since 2023 ever to join the investigation. The HC also granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick editor Pranjal Pandey, booked in the EOW case, on similar grounds as Purkayastha. On August 26, 2020, an FIR was filed by the EOW under IPC sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). As per the allegations in the FIR, foreign direct investment was received by PPK NewsClick Studio Private Limited, which owns the digital portal, from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, US, during 2018-19, in violation of the FDI norms and other laws of the country. Based on the FIR, the ED initiated its probe in September 2021. Notably Purkayastha or Pandey were named in the EOW FIR. The two had moved the High Court for anticipatory bail after they apprehended arrest following CRPC section 41 (where police may arrest without warrant) notices issued to them in June 2021. In February 2021, separate ED teams had launched search operations at the portal's office at Saidulajab in South Delhi and at the homes of Purkayastha and Pande. In July 2021, the HC granted Purkayastha interim protection from arrest.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Delhi HC grants pre-arrest bail to NewsClick chief
Prabir Purkayastha New Delhi: Delhi high court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha, who was booked on charges of receiving money to peddle pro-China propaganda through his news portal. The HC relief for Purkayastha came in two separate investigations - one by Delhi Police's economic offences wing (EOW) into claims of unlawful foreign funding, and the other by ED in the alleged money laundering case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna's order granting anticipatory bail came on a bunch of applications filed by Purkayastha. The court also granted relief to NewsClick director Pranjal Pandey in the foreign funding case filed by EOW. In 2021, the HC had first extended interim protection from arrest to Purkayastha and Pandey in the cases. According to the FIR registered by EOW, NewsClick received foreign direct investment to the tune of Rs 9.6 crore from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC USA during the financial year 2018-19 in violation of the relevant law. Police alleged large-scale violation of regulations by the portal by way of overvaluing of shares, diversion of funds and violation of FDI laws.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Delhi HC grants anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder in two separate cases, including one on foreign funding
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha in two separate cases, including one filed by the Delhi Police over alleged foreign funding. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also extended the relief to Mr. Purkayastha in a money laundering case being investigated by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). The court also granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick director Pranjal Pandey in a case registered by the Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing. The Delhi Police's First Information Report (FIR) in the case alleged that PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited received foreign direct investment (FDI) of ₹9.59 crore from Worldwide Media Holdings LLC, U.S, during the financial year 2018-19. The FIR claimed that the investment was made by greatly overvaluing the shares of the petitioner company to avoid the alleged cap of 26% FDI in a digital news website. It further alleged that over 45% of this investment was diverted or siphoned off towards the payment of salary/consultancy fees, rent, and other expenses, which are alleged to have been made for ulterior motives. The ED initiated its probe on the basis of the Delhi Police's FIR, and conducted searches on the premises of NewsClick and several other places in connection with money allegedly received from overseas. In 2021, the court had extended interim protection from arrest to both Mr. Purkayastha and Mr. Pandey in connection with the cases. Separately, Mr. Purkayastha was arrested on October 3, 2023 by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police in a different case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. However, on May 24, 2024 the Supreme Court declared Mr. Purkayastha's arrest illegal and ordered his release.
Scroll.in
6 days ago
- Business
- Scroll.in
Delhi HC grants anticipatory bail to ‘NewsClick' founder Prabir Purkayastha in foreign funding case
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha in an alleged foreign funding violations case filed against him and the news portal by the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate, Live Law reported. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna also granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick' s director Pranjal Pandey in the Economic Offences Wing case. In June 2021, the court had granted Purkayastha interim protection from arrest in the matter, which has since been extended periodically. The case pertains to a first information report registered by the Delhi Police in August 2020 against NewsClick for allegedly violating Foreign Direct Investment norms. The Enforcement Directorate also initiated an investigation into the matter after taking cognisance of the Delhi Police's FIR. In February 2021, the central agency conducted raids at the Newsclick office and Purkayastha's home based on the allegations levelled by the Delhi Police. However, no arrests were made during the raids at that time. In October 2023, the Delhi Police had raided the NewsClick office, along with the residences of nearly 80 journalists and other individuals associated with the portal. Purkayastha was arrested on the same day as the raids. These raids were linked to another case filed against the news outlet under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act by the Delhi Police on March 2024, which alleged that it had received funds through Chinese entities 'with the intention of undermining India's sovereignty and territorial integrity'. The case was registered after The New York Times alleged in an August 2023 report that NewsClick had received money from American businessman Neville Roy Singham, who worked closely with the 'Chinese government media machine' to spread its propaganda. In May 2024
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC grants anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder in foreign funding case
The Delhi high court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to NewsClick's founder Prabir Purkayastha in a foreign funding case registered by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW). NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha. (File Photo) A bench of justice Neena Bansal Krishna also granted anticipatory bail to Prabir in the money laundering case based on the EOW case. 'Bail granted,' justice Neena Bansal Krishna said while pronouncing the verdict. The court also granted anticipatory bail to the portal's director Pranjal Pandey in the EOW case. A detailed copy of the verdict is awaited. EOW in August 2020, registered a first information report (FIR) against the news portal for allegedly violating FDI norms under sections 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (punishment for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). EOW's case had also formed the basis of Enforcement Directorate (ED) registering FIR against the portal for allegedly overvaluing shares, diverting funds. The high court in July 2021 had granted interim protection from arrest in the cases. In 2023, Delhi police special cell had also registered a case under stringent provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly receiving foreign funds through Chinese firms to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The special cell in the FIR alleged that the accused had conspired with a group called Peoples Alliance for Democracy and Secularism to sabotage the 2019 general elections. The police also claimed that the money was routed into the portal by Chinese firms Xiaomi and Vivo with the aid of shell companies. In May, last year, the Supreme Court ordered immediate release of Prabir in the UAPA case, saying that his arrest and subsequent remand was invalid.
