NewsClick Office Sealed; Editor's Guild Call It An ''Attempt To Muzzle Media'

Delhi Police's Special Cell has taken action against 'NewsClick' in Delhi, sealing its office and conducting raids at various associated premises today. These actions are being carried out under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other relevant sections as reported by ANI.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Delhi Police's Special Cell carried out raids at more than 30 locations linked with the online news portal NewsClick and its journalists. The raids came in connection with a case registered on August 17 under UAPA and other sections of IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between two groups), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

The Editors Guild of India has raised concerns over the recent raids conducted by Delhi Police at the residences of journalists associated with 'NewsClick.' In a statement, the guild expressed apprehensions that these actions are "another attempt to muzzle media"

Furthermore, the Guild, said it was "deeply concerned" about the raids at the residences of senior journalists early this morning.

"Their laptops, mobile phones, and other devices have been seized. Senior journalists have been taken into custody by the Delhi Police, allegedly for 'questioning.' Media reports suggest that the raids have been widespread. The raids are reportedly being conducted in connection with an FIR filed under the draconian UAPA and laws relating to criminal conspiracy and disruption of communal harmony against journalists, including those associated with the website Newsclick.in," the Guild said in a statement as quoted by ANI.

"EGI is concerned that these raids are yet another attempt to muzzle the media. While we recognize that the law must take its course if actual offenses are involved, due process has to be followed. The investigation of specific offenses must not create a general atmosphere of intimidation under the shadow of draconian laws, or impinge on the freedom of expression and the raising of dissenting and critical voices," it added.

"We remind the government of the importance of an independent media in a functioning democracy and urge it to ensure that the fourth pillar is respected, nurtured and protected," it added.

Meanwhile, according to sources, the Editor-in-Chief of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, and writers Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and Urmilesh were brought in for questioning at special cell offices in Delhi as part of the ongoing investigation.

Back on August 10, an exposé published in The New York Times had suggested that 'NewsClick' had affiliations with an expansive worldwide network that purportedly received financial support from the affluent American billionaire, Neville Roy Singham.

Singham has earned a reputation as a generous patron of far-left ideologies, reportedly positioning himself at the epicenter of a generously bankrolled campaign aimed at promoting and safeguarding China's interests and pushing its propaganda. Furthermore, there have been claims of Singham maintaining intimate connections with the Chinese government's media apparatus.