Delhi police raid renowned journalists’ houses

• Delhi police raid renowned journalists’ houses.
• The investigation centers on claims that NewsClick received illegal funds.
• The situation highlights concerns about press freedom in India.

Delhi police have conducted raids on the residences of several prominent journalists and authors, citing an investigation into the funding of the news website NewsClick.

Authorities seized mobile phones and laptops from those targeted during the Tuesday morning raids. The investigation centers on allegations that NewsClick received illegal funds from China, a claim that the website vehemently denies. Critics argue that this action represents an intentional assault on press freedom.

NewsClick, an independent news and current affairs website founded in 2009, is known for its critical stance towards the Indian government. It faced a raid by tax authorities over allegations of violating India’s foreign direct investment rules in 2021.

NewsClick’s editor Prabir Purkayastha, journalists Abhisar Sharma, Aunindyo Chakravarty, and Bhasha Singh, popular satirist Sanjay Rajoura, and historian Sohail Hashmi are among those reportedly subjected to the recent raids. Some of them have been taken to police stations for questioning.

Some of the individuals targeted confirmed the confiscation of their electronic devices while the police have not officially commented on the raids. Searches were also conducted at NewsClick’s office in Delhi.

The raids are believed to be connected to a case filed against NewsClick in August following a report that alleged the website received funds from an American millionaire to disseminate “Chinese propaganda.”

The report claimed that Neville Roy Singham closely collaborated with the “Chinese government media machine” and used his network of non-profit organizations and shell companies to “finance its propaganda worldwide.” NewsClick has strongly refuted all these allegations.

The situation highlights concerns about press freedom in India, as numerous media outlets have faced government investigations for alleged financial misconduct since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.

Reporters Without Borders has downgraded India’s press freedom ranking to 161st place, characterizing the situation as shifting from “problematic” to “very bad,” comparable to countries like Tajikistan (153rd) and Turkey (165th).

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