AGENCIES
The Delhi Police Tuesday conducted raids at at least 35 locations, including houses of seven journalists and places associated with the news portal NewsClick.
A fresh case has been registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell against the news portal under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The organisation is under the scanner of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) amid allegations it received funds from China.
Sources said the funds were received illegally and documents were not provided to the authorities.
One of the journalists, Abhisar Sharma, posted on X, “Delhi police landed at my home. Taking away my laptop and Phone…”
On Tuesday morning, the Delhi Police sent their Special Cell teams to the residences of several journalists associated with the organisation. Sources said they seized devices, including laptops and mobile phones, belonging to the journalists. Several journalists have been detained for questioning.
The Delhi police also conducted a search at CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury’s official residence in connection with NewsClick. The raid was conducted on an employee of CPM, Shree Narayan. Narayan’s son works at NewsClick.
The CPM’s official residence has been allotted in the name of CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yachuri.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury reacted to the raids at his residence and said, “Police came to my residence because one of my companions who lives with me there, his son works for NewsClick. Police came to question him. They took his laptop and phone. What are they investigating, nobody knows. If this is an attempt to try and muzzle the media, the country must know the reason behind this.”
Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said, “The probe agencies are independent and they are doing their jobs by following rules.” “I don’t need to justify the raids. If someone has done something wrong, the probe agencies do their job. It’s nowhere written that probe agencies can’t take action if money has come to you from wrong sources or something objectionable has been done,” he added, while responding to a question over the raids against NewsClick by reporters in Bhubaneswar.
INDIA Parties have strongly condemn fresh attacks on media, now targeting NewsClick with raids on journalists & technicians. Such coercive authoritarian attacks are directed only against those who dare to speak truth to power while those inciting hatred and violence are patronized.
