Delhi Police raid 35 places including residences of journalists on charges of receiving funding from China

The journalists are associated with the ‘NewsClick’ portal

Some journalists have been taken into custody

New Delhi – The Delhi Police raided 35 locations in Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad on 3rd October; of which, 7 raids have been conducted on the residences of journalists. The said journalists are associated with a news portal called ‘NewsClick’. The Police have taken journalists Abhisar Sharma, Urmilesh and Aunindyo Chakravarty (Former Senior Managing Editor of NDTV) into custody.

1. The Police seized electronic items such as laptops, mobile phones, etc. and data from the hard disk during these raids. Raids have also been conducted at the residences and buildings belonging to the founder/editor of the portal.

2. So-called social activist Teesta Setalvad’s residence was also raided. Comedian Sanjay Rajoura has been taken into custody for questioning.

#DigitalMediaScam | NewsClick funding now under scanner. After multi-city raids by Delhi Police, NewsClick office sealed over China funding claims, Founder arrested

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3. Urmilesh and Gaurav Yadav, 2 of the 7 journalists raided, reached the office of the Special Cell of Delhi Police after the raid. Journalist Abhisar Sharma’s mobile phone and laptop have been seized by the Police.

4. The Police have registered a case against this news portal under section 153 A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

5. The news portal is being investigated for alleged funding from China by the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Reportedly, the Chinese funding was received illegally.

6. The Police conducted these raids based on the information received from the ED. Investigation by the ED has revealed fraudulent foreign funds infusion of INR 38.5 crores over a period of 3 years.

Editorial Perspective

If the said journalists are found guilty of working against India with Chinese funding, they should be given the death penalty.