New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken possession of a Delhi apartment belonging to Prabir Purkayastha, the Editor-in-Chief of News Click, as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of money laundering. The property, located in Saket, was confiscated in relation to the probe that stemmed from a raid conducted by the ED in September 2021, during which significant documents were seized from Purkayastha’s residence.
Reports from The New York Times had previously suggested that News Click had received financial backing from China, purportedly fuelling an anti-India agenda. These funds were traced to various entities associated with Neville Roy Singham, an American billionaire with affiliations with the Chinese Communist Party. The ED’s investigation unearthed monetary inflows of ₹76.84 crores from the Justice and Education Fund, ₹1.61 crores from The TriContinental Limited, and ₹26.98 lakhs from Jisan LLC, spanning the period between 2018 and 2021. During cross-examination, a shareholder acknowledged that News Click had indeed received foreign funds.
The ED’s scrutiny further illuminated a trail of money laundering and unauthorised acquisitions of foreign funds by News Click. As legal measures were initiated against the digital media outlet, certain factions of the opposition rallied in support of the organisation, citing concerns over media freedom.
Amid these developments, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey presented claims in the Lok Sabha linking CPM leader Prakash Karat to News Click, asserting that the platform was advancing China’s agenda within India. Dubey offered to present substantiating evidence to support his assertions.
This ongoing investigation has spotlighted the intricate nexus between media organisations, foreign funds, and potential external influences, leading to a broader discourse on media ethics and national interests.
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