Court (symbolic)
– Photo : istock
Expansion
Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Friday gave 20 more days to Delhi Police to complete the investigation against the news portal’s founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha and news portal’s HR head Amit Chakraborty in the case registered under illegal provisions. . Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, following allegations that news portal Newsclick received huge funds for pro-China propaganda.
Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar also pulled up Delhi Police for taking a long time to complete the probe by extending the investigation time and asked what they have done in the 150 days of investigation. If they had used these days they would not have needed the extension. Delhi Police, through Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Akhand Pratap Singh, submitted that it has taken prompt steps to conduct the investigation and a large amount of data has been recovered, which is being examined. There are around four lakh emails and more than 100 digital documents and one of the accused is living outside India.
Delhi Police said, ‘We are in the process of appreciating and summarizing the evidence. Meanwhile, the court has extended the judicial custody of the arrested accused till March 15, 2024. In October last year, Delhi Police had arrested Purkayastha and Newsclick’s HR head Amit Chakraborty under the provisions of UAPA. Harass the accused who is currently in judicial custody.