Newsclick HR head Amit Chakravarty moves to HC seeking bail in UAPA case

NewsClick HR head Amit Chakravarty on Wednesday urged the Delhi High Court to grant him bail in a case filed under the anti-terror law UAPA against the news portal, accusing it of accepting money to spread pro-China propaganda publicity.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma reserved the order on the bail plea of ​​Chakravarty, who became the sanctioner in the case last month after the police He said he would not object if he was granted bail.

Chakravarty’s lawyer said he had been granted pardon by the trial court and was cooperating with the investigation.

“I have been detained since October 3, 2023 and the matter is still under investigation. No charge sheet has been filed,” the lawyer quoted Chakravarty as telling the court. Special judge Hardeep Kaur allowed Chakravarty to turn approver and pardoned him last month.

Chakravarty claimed that he had “vital information” about the case which he was willing to disclose to the Delhi Police. A special team of the Delhi Police arrested NewsClick founders Prabir Purkayastha and Chakravarty on October 3 last year, and both are currently in judicial custody.

The FIR alleged that the news portal received significant funding from China with the aim of “disrupting India’s sovereignty” and triggering dissatisfaction against the country. It also alleged that Purkayastha conspired with the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to sabotage the electoral process during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The police said that on October 3 last year, police conducted raids at 88 locations in Delhi and seven locations in other states against suspects named in the FIR and those identified during data analysis.

About 300 electronic items were also seized from NewsClick’s offices and the homes of journalists inspected.

After the raid, the special team interrogated 46 people, including nine female journalists.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)