The Delhi Police informed the Patiala House Court that Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, funneled funds from China into India to fuel and sustain the 2020 Delhi riots, conduct disinformation campaigns on Covid-19, fuel the farmer’s protest, and engage in terror funding in Kashmir.
These allegations were detailed in the charge sheet filed before Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur, who took cognizance it on Tuesday.
Allegations
The charge sheet claimed that Purkayastha provided salaries to several employees of activist Teesta Setalvad. It also mentioned that the involvement of another activist, Gautam Navlakha, was under investigation in the case. According to the final report, Navlakha was a shareholder of NewsClick, and his role emerged in the testimonies of protected witnesses as a conduit for financing and supplying arms and ammunition to a banned Naxal outfit.
The charge sheet referenced statements from NewsClick’s human resource (HR) head and accused-turned-approver, Amit Chakravarty. Chakravarty claimed that Purkayastha disbursed salaries to Setalvad’s employees “as FCRA of Teesta got stopped due to some litigation.”
The statement further alleged that funds were directed to Teesta and her associates for promoting communal agenda and disharmony in society through her NGO Sabrang.
Illegal Funds
Purkayastha purportedly received illegal funds from companies owned by Neville Roy Singham, a US national of Sri Lankan descent. Singham has allegedly been promoting Maoist ideology for at least a decade, possibly under the influence of China-sponsored entities or the Chinese Deep State. Protected witnesses have reportedly corroborated these claims.
It was alleged that out of the funds received from Singham, Purkayastha transferred Rs 36 lakh to an individual with instructions to pass it on to Sharjeel Imam for instigating the 2020 Delhi riots.
