Police quizzes 25 NewsClick journalists for 2nd time

The Delhi police special cell has questioned about 25 journalists and contributors of NewsClick for a second time in connection with a UAPA case registered against the online news portal for allegedly peddling "anti-national" agenda in the country, sources said on Monday.

An officer said that the investigation into the case is still on and no one has been given a clean chit so far.

About 46 people, including nine women journalists, were questioned on October 3, the day the special cell raided several locations connected to the website in Delhi and NCR.

"Since the arrest took place, everyone was called for the second round of questioning. About 25 of them have appeared so far," said a police officer.

On October 3, the Delhi police arrested portal's editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and human relations head Amit Chakravarty and seized more than 300 electronic gadgets from the office of NewsClick and residences of its journalists.

An official said these gadgets were sent to the FSL (forensic science lab) for examination and extraction of any content related to the matter.

According to the Delhi police's remand copy which was submitted before the court on October 4 when it produced Purkayastha and Chakravarty, the analysis of the e-mails shows that Neville Roy Singham, Prabir Purkayastha, and Amit Chakravarty were in direct touch with each other and were found to be discussing how to create a map of India without Kashmir and to show Arunachal Pradesh as disputed area.

"To achieve the above objective the accused persons in the guise of foreign funds received money of more than Rs 115 crore in the companies named as PPK NewsClick, GSPAN India, JJ Enterprises, Virtunet System," said the remand copy.

The seven-day police remand of Purkayastha and Chakravarty granted by the court ends on Tuesday.

The officer said both accused are likely to be produced before the court on Tuesday morning and the IO (investigating officer) may seek for extension of their remand.

The Delhi police had in the matter registered a case under sections 13, 16, 17,18 and 22 of the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act invoked and sections 153A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC on August 17.