Delhi High Court grants anticipatory bail to NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha in money laundering and foreign funding cases. Court also extends relief to director Pranjal Pandey; detailed order awaited.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, 23 July, granted anticipatory bail to Prabir Purkayastha, the editor-in-chief and founder of NewsClick. He was booked in a case for allegedly receiving money to promote pro-China views through news stories published by his portal.
The High Court also granted similar anticipatory bail relief to him in a separate money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Also Read: Delhi Police Files Chargesheet Against NewsClick for Alleged “Pro-China Propaganda”
The order was passed by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, who also gave anticipatory bail to Pranjal Pandey, the Director of NewsClick, in a case registered by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
These bail pleas had been pending since 2021. At that time, both Purkayastha and Pandey were given interim protection from arrest by the Delhi High Court, and the protection was extended from time to time while the matter was being heard.
Now, the court has finally decided to grant them full anticipatory bail. A detailed judgment with reasons is yet to be made public.
The allegations against Prabir Purkayastha and NewsClick include receiving foreign funds and misusing them for purposes not aligned with Indian interests.
The ED, which is probing the money laundering aspect, started its investigation after an FIR was filed by the EOW of the Delhi Police.
According to the FIR, the company PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd had allegedly received foreign direct investment (FDI) by overvaluing its shares, thereby bypassing the legal limit allowed under India’s FDI rules.
In February 2021, the ED had conducted searches at NewsClick’s office and also at the homes of its editors, including Prabir Purkayastha.
These searches were part of the larger investigation into the alleged money laundering and foreign funding violations.
While pronouncing the order, the Delhi High Court considered the long-standing interim relief granted earlier, and the fact that the investigation had been going on for quite some time.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, after hearing both sides, decided to allow the anticipatory bail applications. The court stated that it would issue a detailed order with complete reasons soon.
The case has attracted attention due to its links with alleged attempts to push “pro-China propaganda” in India.
NewsClick, however, has consistently denied all the allegations, stating that it has followed all legal procedures in its financial transactions and editorial decisions.
Currently, both Prabir Purkayastha and Pranjal Pandey remain protected from any arrest in connection with these cases. As we await the detailed order from the court, it remains to be seen how the case will proceed in the coming months.
CASE TITLE:
Prabir Purkayastha vs ED and other connected matters
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