Editor-in-chief Purkayastha of NewsClick is the target of a CBI FIR for “FCRA violations”

According to sources, the CBI searched the founder’s office and home on Wednesday after filing a FIR against NewsClick and its creator Prabir Purkayastha for allegedly breaking the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

The company PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd, Purkayastha, Jason Pfetcher, Worldwide Media Holdings’ sole manager, American billionaire Neville Roy Singham, who owns an IT consulting business, and other unnamed individuals are mentioned as defendants in the FIR by the agency.

They said that a team of agency representatives searched Purkayastha’s home and workplace. Purkayastha was recently detained by the Delhi Police in connection with an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case.

“Our Editor-in-Chief, Prabir Purkayastha, and the NewsClick office are presently the subject of search and seizure activities by the CBI. The fifth agency looking into us complements this one. We are working with the law enforcement,” the online news site said on X.

According to the FCRA’s regulations, it is claimed that the private firm (NewsClick) received an inexplicable export remittance of around Rs 28.46 crore via four overseas organizations.

He said that by mischaracterizing the money as FDI, there had been a “unexplained receipt” of foreign cash totaling around Rs 9.59 crore.

According to the CBI, Purkayastha and his close friends reportedly violated the terms of the FCRA, 2010, together.

“It was also alleged that the provisions of FCRA, 2010, prohibiting the acceptance of foreign contributions by the company engaged in the production and broadcast of audio-visual news or current affairs programme through any electronic mode and by any correspondent, columnist, writer, or owner of such company, were violated,” the spokesperson added.

The Delhi Police had claimed in their case against the webpage that Neville Roy Singham, a prominent member of the Communist Party of China’s propaganda department, had illegally poured money into the system.

NewsClick has refuted all of the accusations after the New York Times revealed that it had received funding from Singham for allegedly spreading pro-Chinese propaganda.

On October 3, the head of the portal’s human resources department, Purkayastha, and Amit Chakravarty were both detained by the Delhi Police Special Cell. Additionally, police had Delhi’s NewsClick headquarters locked up.